Western Illinois University (WIU) vs Buffalo State

Western Illinois University and SUNY Buffalo State, two public universities with distinct characteristics, offer prospective students diverse academic opportunities. Western Illinois University, nestled in Macomb, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. SUNY Buffalo State, located in Buffalo, New York, attracts a more diverse student body, providing a vibrant multicultural environment. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with Western Illinois University excelling in fields like Agriculture and Family and Consumer Sciences, while SUNY Buffalo State shines in areas such as Business and Health Professions. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	SUNY Buffalo State	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	Buffalo, New York	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	City: 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	48.0%	72.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.5%	72.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	930 - 1160	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	12,057	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	10,193	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,344	920
Yield rate	13.2%	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: $27,150 Out of state: $37,060	$29,140
Average net price	$9,998	$11,666
Tuition	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,506 Meal plan: $5,880	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)	88.0% Average amount $9,663	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $4,720	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $10,210	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,147 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	1,026 Men 25.7% Women 74.3%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	2.5%	9.7%
International students	1.0%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,842	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Mississippi California Connecticut	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Engineering Technologies	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	41.2%	50.9%
Dropout rate	19.8%	16.5%
Transferred out	37.7%	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,172 Year 2: $58,522 Year 3: $72,509 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,939 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $69,910 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,019 Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: $57,686 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,405 Year 2: $46,254 Year 3: $52,604 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,976 Year 2: $44,276 Year 3: $48,855 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,038 Year 2: $45,969 Year 3: $48,754 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,663 Year 2: $45,249 Year 3: $47,057 Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,709 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,776 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,130 Year 2: $36,488 Year 3: $45,629 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,151 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $44,724	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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