Western Illinois University (WIU) vs Ball State

Western Illinois University and Ball State University, both esteemed public institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Illinois, nestled in Macomb, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Ball State, located in Muncie, Indiana, attracts a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While Western Illinois excels in programs like Agriculture and Education, Ball State shines in fields such as Business and Communication. Both universities offer competitive graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ball State University	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	72.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1010 - 1210	N/A
ACT range	20 - 27	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	920
Yield rate	21.0%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,254 Out of state: $42,488	$29,140
Average net price	$12,968	$11,666
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	Room/dormitory: $6,240 Meal plan: $3,952
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.4%	9.7%
International students	1.4%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	7,531	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Florida	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.0%	50.9%
Dropout rate	11.4%	16.5%
Transferred out	20.1%	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,451 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $94,146 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,551 Year 2: $75,989 Year 3: $81,236 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,545 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $77,057 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,885 Year 2: $65,610 Year 3: $75,003 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,368 Year 2: $53,108 Year 3: $65,967 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,067 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $64,046 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,195 Year 2: $54,296 Year 3: $63,441 Business/Commerce, General (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $62,410 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,157 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $60,714 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,299 Year 2: $52,357 Year 3: $59,898	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,427 Year 2: $63,166 Year 3: $79,149 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,346 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $72,457 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,220 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $65,823 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,904 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,827 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $64,741 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,966 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $63,350 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,154 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $54,520 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,063 Year 2: $43,612 Year 3: $53,379 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,058 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $52,271 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,853 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $51,827

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