Wheaton College vs Columbia International

Wheaton College and Columbia International University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton College, nestled in the vibrant city of Chicago, boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating its highly selective admissions process. Columbia International University, located in the charming town of Columbia, South Carolina, offers a more accessible admissions process with a higher acceptance rate. While Wheaton College is renowned for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Columbia International University excels in Bible and ministry-related programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions between these two exceptional institutions, including popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Columbia International University	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	64.0%	89.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	45.6%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	940 - 1135	1250 - 1430
ACT range	17 - 24	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	526	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	240	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	176	546
Yield rate	73.3%	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	$38,700	$54,700
Average net price	$20,088	$28,319
Tuition	$24,490	$40,570
Room & board	$8,950	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $17,706	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	66.0% Average amount $5,128	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $9,004	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	905 Men 46.2% Women 53.8%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	1,433 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	47.6%	N/A
International students	14.2%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	400	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina Florida North Carolina Georgia Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Theology Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.1%	87.6%
Dropout rate	16.8%	3.1%
Transferred out	19.0%	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Theology and Religious Vocations, Other (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $43,723 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $33,137 Bible/Biblical Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,420 Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $25,579 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $23,982 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $23,347 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: N/A Theological and Ministerial Studies (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: N/A Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,351 Year 3: N/A	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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