Westfield State vs Fitchburg State

Westfield State University and Fitchburg State University, both esteemed public universities in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Westfield State boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. In contrast, Fitchburg State has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While Westfield State excels in fields like Education and Psychology, Fitchburg State shines in programs such as Business and Engineering. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, popular majors, and more, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Fitchburg State University	Westfield State University
Overview
Location	Fitchburg, Massachusetts	Westfield, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
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	68.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.3%	94.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	980 - 1180	980 - 1190
ACT range	18 - 25	17 - 22
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	1.0%
Total number of applicants	3,414	3,629
Total number of admissions given out	2,911	3,424
Admitted students who chose to enroll	567	802
Yield rate	19.5%	23.4%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,330 Out of state: $30,410	In state: $26,978 Out of state: $33,058
Average net price	$16,862	$19,194
Tuition	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,990 Meal plan: $3,770	Room/dormitory: $7,700 Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $6,170	84.0% Average amount $5,332
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $4,912	70.0% Average amount $4,971
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,352	14.0% Average amount $12,501

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,349 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	4,239 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students	3,325 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	774 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	2.1%	0.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,737	2,396
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Connecticut New Hampshire Florida New York	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Education Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	21:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.1%	60.6%
Dropout rate	14.3%	38.6%
Transferred out	27.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,667 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $80,428 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,430 Year 2: $66,897 Year 3: $73,957 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,071 Year 2: $57,882 Year 3: $63,852 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,546 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $54,097 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,151 Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $52,237 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,607 Year 2: $38,048 Year 3: $51,244 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,965 Year 2: $41,246 Year 3: $49,224 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,991 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,433 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,178 Year 2: $34,793 Year 3: $44,801 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,593 Year 2: $36,166 Year 3: $42,141	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,590 Year 2: $68,331 Year 3: $75,730 Psychology, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $62,932 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,162 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,432 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,050 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $53,190 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,915 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $52,819 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,968 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $50,467 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,790 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $49,846 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,669 Year 2: $42,754 Year 3: $49,217 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $48,175 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,660 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $47,659

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