Western Washington University (WWU) vs Grand Valley State

Western Washington University and Grand Valley State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Western, nestled in the picturesque Pacific Northwest, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Grand Valley, situated in the vibrant city of Allendale, Michigan, offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like engineering and business. While Western's graduation rate slightly edges out Grand Valley's, both universities are committed to providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Grand Valley State University	Western Washington University
Overview
Location	Allendale, Michigan	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.7%	96.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $100
SAT range	N/A	1090 - 1310
ACT range	N/A	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		16.0%
Students submitting ACT score		3.0%
Total number of applicants	17,163	10,580
Total number of admissions given out	15,730	10,167
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,807	2,874
Yield rate	24.2%	28.3%
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: $23,604 Out of state: $29,340	In state: $26,634 Out of state: $43,861
Average net price	$16,947	$11,388
Tuition	In state: $13,560 Out of state: $19,296	In state: $7,572 Out of state: $24,799
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,380 Meal plan: $3,500	$13,079
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $8,376	82.0% Average amount $7,112
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,161	29.0% Average amount $4,929
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,024	3.0% Average amount $15,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,379 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	14,019 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	3,027 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	1,106 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	10.6%	N/A
International students	1.8%	1.0%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,012	3,985
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Psychology Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.1%	67.7%
Dropout rate	15.6%	30.6%
Transferred out	15.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,525 Year 2: $105,839 Year 3: $111,967 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,846 Year 2: $96,539 Year 3: $93,695 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,623 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,454 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,965 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $73,434 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,881 Year 2: $62,691 Year 3: $72,792 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,211 Year 2: $65,969 Year 3: $72,474 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,095 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $71,736 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,039 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $69,240 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,382 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $68,410 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,161 Year 2: $67,939 Year 3: $68,289	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,837 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $92,019 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,492 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $78,577 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,314 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,877 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,624 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,599 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,592 Year 2: $60,920 Year 3: $64,540 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $60,325 Year 3: $64,302 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,243 Year 2: $49,572 Year 3: $60,999 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,788 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $58,090 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,818 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $57,268 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,065 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $57,167

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