Western Michigan University (WMU) vs Northern Michigan University (NMU)

Western Michigan University (WMU) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning in Michigan, each offering unique educational experiences. WMU, located in Kalamazoo, boasts a larger student body and a wider range of academic programs, including doctoral degrees, while NMU, situated in Marquette, provides a more intimate learning environment with a focus on undergraduate studies. Both universities have strong acceptance rates, but WMU's is slightly higher. WMU's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while NMU's student body is predominantly White. WMU offers a broader selection of popular majors, including engineering, business, and nursing, while NMU excels in fields such as education, forestry, and nursing. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences

	Northern Michigan University	Western Michigan University
Overview
Location	Marquette, Michigan	Kalamazoo, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	72.0%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.3%	82.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1000 - 1220
ACT range	N/A	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		37.0%
Students submitting ACT score		7.0%
Total number of applicants	6,553	18,853
Total number of admissions given out	4,670	15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,496	2,112
Yield rate	32.0%	13.5%
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: $26,076 Out of state: $31,572	In state: $27,947 Out of state: $31,281
Average net price	$17,686	$19,749
Tuition	In state: $12,098 Out of state: $17,594	In state: $13,334 Out of state: $16,668
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,212 Meal plan: $5,700	$10,884
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $8,291	95.0% Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $4,882	49.0% Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $12,023	10.0% Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,611 Men 41.4% Women 58.6%	14,587 Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students	603 Men 31.8% Women 68.2%	3,679 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.5%	23.8%
International students	1.2%	7.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,956	5,130
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota California	Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.4%	56.3%
Dropout rate	48.5%	14.6%
Transferred out	N/A	25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,628 Year 2: $72,796 Year 3: $79,136 Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $46,384 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $59,593 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $58,726 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,371 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $57,709 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,668 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $55,574 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,975 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,392 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,045 Year 2: $34,793 Year 3: $47,951 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,424 Year 2: $44,635 Year 3: $46,290 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,823 Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $45,786 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,293 Year 2: $38,529 Year 3: $44,324	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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