Western Illinois University (WIU) vs Grand Valley State

Western Illinois University (WIU) and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) stand out as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. WIU, nestled in the heart of Macomb, Illinois, boasts a rich history and a strong commitment to undergraduate education, while GVSU, located in the vibrant city of Allendale, Michigan, is renowned for its comprehensive academic programs and its beautiful lakeshore campus. As you embark on your college search, it's essential to understand the key differences between these two universities, including their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for a fulfilling and transformative college experience.

	Grand Valley State University	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	Allendale, Michigan	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	83.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.7%	72.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	17,163	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	15,730	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,807	920
Yield rate	24.2%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,604 Out of state: $29,340	$29,140
Average net price	$16,947	$11,666
Tuition	In state: $13,560 Out of state: $19,296	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,380 Meal plan: $3,500	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)	80.0% Average amount $8,376	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,161	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,024	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,379 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	3,027 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	10.6%	9.7%
International students	1.8%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	6,012	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.1%	50.9%
Dropout rate	15.6%	16.5%
Transferred out	15.4%	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,525 Year 2: $105,839 Year 3: $111,967 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,846 Year 2: $96,539 Year 3: $93,695 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,623 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,454 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,965 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $73,434 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,881 Year 2: $62,691 Year 3: $72,792 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,211 Year 2: $65,969 Year 3: $72,474 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,095 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $71,736 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,039 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $69,240 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,382 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $68,410 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,161 Year 2: $67,939 Year 3: $68,289	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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