Western Michigan University (WMU) vs CMU-Mount Pleasant

Western Michigan University (WMU) and Central Michigan University (CMU) are two of the most popular public universities in Michigan, offering a wide range of academic programs and a vibrant campus life. While both universities share some similarities, there are also some key differences between them. WMU has a slightly higher acceptance rate (79%) compared to CMU (73%), and it is also larger, with a student body of over 25,000 undergraduates compared to CMU's 20,000. WMU is known for its strong programs in business, engineering, and health sciences, while CMU is known for its programs in education, nursing, and music. Both universities offer a variety of student life activities, including sports, clubs, and Greek life. To help you make an informed decision about which university is the best fit for you, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights the key differences between WMU and CMU.

	Central Michigan University	Western Michigan University
Overview
Location	Mount Pleasant, Michigan	Kalamazoo, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
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	77.0%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.1%	82.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1010 - 1220	1000 - 1220
ACT range	20 - 26	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	7.0%
Total number of applicants	18,517	18,853
Total number of admissions given out	14,273	15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,910	2,112
Yield rate	13.4%	13.5%
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	$24,600	In state: $27,947 Out of state: $31,281
Average net price	$16,880	$19,749
Tuition	$12,750	In state: $13,334 Out of state: $16,668
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $5,520	$10,884
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $10,288	95.0% Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan	78.0% Average amount $5,874	49.0% Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $8,007	10.0% Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,417 Men 39.3% Women 60.7%	14,587 Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students	4,007 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%	3,679 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.3%	23.8%
International students	3.4%	7.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,514	5,130
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Ohio Indiana Wisconsin	Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	61.7%	56.3%
Dropout rate	33.7%	14.6%
Transferred out	N/A	25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,045 Year 2: $113,135 Year 3: $114,375 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,008 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $81,586 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,477 Year 2: $74,367 Year 3: $81,249 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,333 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $79,688 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,978 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $78,210 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $66,347 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $77,569 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,306 Year 2: $66,105 Year 3: $76,690 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,535 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $74,567 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $70,154 Year 2: $70,875 Year 3: $73,884 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,490 Year 2: $63,799 Year 3: $73,873	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,212 Year 2: $103,274 Year 3: $105,179 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,392 Year 2: $73,801 Year 3: $88,332 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $87,977 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,143 Year 2: $65,945 Year 3: $79,982 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,346 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $77,922 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,069 Year 2: $73,562 Year 3: $77,263 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,557 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $75,447 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,559 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,968 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,118 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $72,465 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,803 Year 2: $59,576 Year 3: $69,288

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