Western Illinois University (WIU) vs University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF)

Western Illinois University and University of Wisconsin-River Falls stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities for students seeking a transformative educational experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects. Western Illinois University boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body, while University of Wisconsin-River Falls maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. In terms of academic offerings, Western Illinois University excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, while University of Wisconsin-River Falls shines in areas such as agriculture, biology, and environmental science. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Wisconsin-River Falls	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	River Falls, Wisconsin	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	72.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.2%	72.5%
Application fees	$56	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	19 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score	58.0%
Total number of applicants	3,933	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	3,392	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,016	920
Yield rate	30.0%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $19,888 Out of state: $27,461	$29,140
Average net price	$14,318	$11,666
Tuition	In state: $6,428 Out of state: $14,001	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,450 Meal plan: $2,572	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)	79.0% Average amount $3,231	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $4,902	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $9,070	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,988 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	406 Men 25.6% Women 74.4%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	52.1%	9.7%
International students	0.7%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,134	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Arizona Oklahoma	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Agriculture Business Social Sciences Psychology	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.6%	50.9%
Dropout rate	42.6%	16.5%
Transferred out	N/A	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,546 Year 2: $73,949 Year 3: $77,313 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,342 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $62,689 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,223 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $61,513 Computer Systems Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,118 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $61,142 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,100 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $54,774 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,526 Year 2: $48,265 Year 3: $54,189 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,143 Year 2: $48,965 Year 3: $53,686 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,910 Year 2: $46,321 Year 3: $52,959 Agricultural Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,144 Year 2: $49,269 Year 3: $52,148 Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,312 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $46,018	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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