Western Washington University (WWU) vs Harvard

Western Washington University and Harvard University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of size, location, and academic focus. With an acceptance rate of 73%, Western Washington University welcomes a diverse student body of over 15,000 undergraduates, offering a wide range of programs in fields such as business, education, and the arts. In contrast, Harvard University, with its highly selective admissions process and an acceptance rate of just 5%, enrolls a smaller undergraduate population of around 6,700 students, renowned for its strengths in fields like law, medicine, and engineering. While both universities offer a transformative educational experience, their distinct characteristics cater to different aspirations and academic pursuits. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your unique goals and preferences.

	Harvard University	Western Washington University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.0%	96.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $105	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1480 - 1580	1090 - 1310
ACT range	33 - 36	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	54.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	57,786	10,580
Total number of admissions given out	2,318	10,167
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,951	2,874
Yield rate	84.2%	28.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$78,028	In state: $26,634 Out of state: $43,861
Average net price	$13,910	$11,388
Tuition	$51,143	In state: $7,572 Out of state: $24,799
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,705 Meal plan: $7,236	$13,079
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $59,840	82.0% Average amount $7,112
Students receiving federal student loan	3.0% Average amount $5,180	29.0% Average amount $4,929
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,080	3.0% Average amount $15,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,579 Men 49.0% Women 51.0%	14,019 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	21,766 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	1,106 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	23.9%	1.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	12,874	3,985
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Social Sciences Education Legal Profession	Education Psychology Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.7%	67.7%
Dropout rate	2.0%	30.6%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,193 Year 2: $128,716 Year 3: $240,408 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $184,307 Year 2: $165,340 Year 3: $199,043 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $171,333 Year 2: $171,907 Year 3: $187,553 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $140,072 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: $163,896 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $151,371 Year 2: $174,023 Year 3: $163,512 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,508 Year 2: $117,916 Year 3: $129,281 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,832 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,707 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $121,771 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,905 Year 2: $98,670 Year 3: $107,389 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,745 Year 2: $71,486 Year 3: $106,375	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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