Western Michigan University (WMU) vs Western Illinois University (WIU)

Western Michigan University (WMU) and Western Illinois University (WIU) share similarities as public universities in the Midwest, but they also have distinct characteristics that set them apart. WMU, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, boasts a larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to WIU in Macomb, Illinois. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with WMU excelling in fields like engineering and business, while WIU is known for its strong programs in education and nursing. While WMU's student body is more racially and ethnically diverse, WIU has a higher percentage of international students. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Western Illinois University	Western Michigan University
Overview
Location	Macomb, Illinois	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	72.5%	82.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	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	7,156	18,853
Total number of admissions given out	5,187	15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll	920	2,112
Yield rate	17.7%	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	$29,140	In state: $27,947 Out of state: $31,281
Average net price	$11,666	$19,749
Tuition	$9,238	In state: $13,334 Out of state: $16,668
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,240 Meal plan: $3,952	$10,884
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $13,937	95.0% Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,417	49.0% Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $9,533	10.0% Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	14,587 Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%	3,679 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.7%	23.8%
International students	8.8%	7.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	3,083	5,130
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana	Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.9%	56.3%
Dropout rate	16.5%	14.6%
Transferred out	31.2%	25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	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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Western Michigan University (WMU) vs Western Illinois University (WIU)

Western Illinois University

Western Michigan University

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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