Wheaton College vs Aurora University

Wheaton College and Aurora University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton College, a private Christian liberal arts college, boasts a lower acceptance rate (69%) compared to Aurora University's (84%). While Wheaton College excels in popular majors like Biblical and Theological Studies, Business, and Psychology, Aurora University shines in Nursing, Business, and Criminal Justice. Wheaton College's student body is predominantly White (69%) and female (60%), while Aurora University's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (29%) and male (49%) students. With a higher graduation rate (79%) compared to Aurora University's (63%), Wheaton College demonstrates its commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Aurora University logo

Aurora University

Wheaton College logo

Wheaton College

Overview

Location Aurora, Illinois Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 78.0% 89.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Undenominational

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.4% 86.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $30
SAT range 960 - 1130 1250 - 1430
ACT range 19 - 24 27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 32.0%
Students submitting ACT score 14.0% 25.0%
Total number of applicants 3,101 1,993
Total number of admissions given out 2,680 1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll 822 546
Yield rate 30.7% 31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $35,160 $54,700
Average net price $17,410 $28,319
Tuition $26,400 $40,570
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,840

Meal plan: $5,440
Room/dormitory: $6,640

Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $18,441
91.0%
Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan 56.0%
Average amount $4,944
52.0%
Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $12,101
5.0%
Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,114
Men 33.6% Women 66.4%
2,341
Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students 2,051
Men 20.7% Women 79.3%
706
Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 23.4% N/A
International students 0.5% 5.9%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 641 2,153
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Texas California N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Psychology
  • Theology
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 20:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 55.4% 87.6%
Dropout rate 43.8% 3.1%
Transferred out N/A 9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,923
  • Year 2: $65,238
  • Year 3: $70,820
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,230
  • Year 2: $66,941
  • Year 3: $65,026
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,536
  • Year 2: $62,661
  • Year 3: $64,344
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,727
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $62,891
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,719
  • Year 2: $47,200
  • Year 3: $60,344
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,889
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $56,830
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,853
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $55,663
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $52,464
  • Year 3: $55,626
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,398
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $53,070
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,164
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $52,090
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,492
  • Year 2: $48,667
  • Year 3: $61,559
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,982
  • Year 2: $37,748
  • Year 3: $48,761
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,694
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: $48,539
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,613
  • Year 2: $33,459
  • Year 3: $41,661
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,251
  • Year 2: $37,856
  • Year 3: $41,339
Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,767
  • Year 2: $39,049
  • Year 3: $38,775
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,864
  • Year 3: $36,928
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,471
  • Year 2: $27,126
  • Year 3: $34,682
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,825
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $32,867
Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $31,289

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