Western Illinois University (WIU) vs Michigan State University (MSU)
Western Illinois University (WIU) and Michigan State University (MSU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. WIU, located in Macomb, Illinois, is a public university with a smaller student body and a focus on undergraduate education. MSU, situated in East Lansing, Michigan, is a large, public research university with a diverse student population and a wide range of academic programs. While both universities offer a quality education, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
|
|
Michigan State University |
Western Illinois University |
|---|---|---|
Overview |
||
| Location | East Lansing, Michigan | 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 | 92.0% | 72.0% |
Common app member
|
Yes | Yes |
| Religious affiliation | ||
|
|
||
Admission |
||
| Acceptance rate | 83.3% | 72.5% |
| Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$65
Graduate:
$65
|
Undergraduate:
$30
Graduate:
$30
|
| SAT range | 1100 - 1320 | N/A |
| ACT range | 23 - 29 | N/A |
| Students submitting SAT score | 48.0% | |
| Students submitting ACT score | 16.0% | |
| Total number of applicants | 50,630 | 7,156 |
| Total number of admissions given out | 42,150 | 5,187 |
| Admitted students who chose to enroll | 9,225 | 920 |
| Yield rate | 21.9% | 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:
$29,734
Out of state:
$55,546
|
$29,140 |
| Average net price | $8,738 | $11,666 |
| Tuition |
In state:
$14,750
Out of state:
$40,562
|
$9,238 |
| Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$4,408
Meal plan:
$6,268
|
Room/dormitory:
$6,240
Meal plan:
$3,952
|
| Available payment plans |
|
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
|
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
58.0%
Average amount $12,822 |
94.0%
Average amount $13,937 |
| Students receiving federal student loan |
34.0%
Average amount $4,999 |
50.0%
Average amount $5,417 |
| Students taking out private loans |
6.0%
Average amount $18,093 |
5.0%
Average amount $9,533 |
|
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
| Undergraduate students |
38,574
Men 48.4% Women 51.6% |
5,394
Men 43.5% Women 56.5% |
| Graduate students |
11,085
Men 42.4% Women 57.6% |
2,061
Men 42.9% Women 57.1% |
| Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Low
|
| Out-of-state students | 18.7% | 9.7% |
| International students | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Campus local/setting | City: Small | Town: Remote |
| Dormitory capacity | 17,463 | 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 California Ohio New York | Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana |
|
|
||
Academics |
||
| Popular study areas |
|
|
| Students to faculty ratio | 16:1 | 13:1 |
| Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
|
|
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Outcome |
||
| Graduation rate | 82.1% | 50.9% |
| Dropout rate | 7.8% | 16.5% |
| Transferred out | 9.8% | 31.2% |
| Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees)
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
Food Science and Technology (Master's Degrees)
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
|
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Common app member