Wheaton College vs Palm Beach Atlantic University

Wheaton College and Palm Beach Atlantic University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton College, nestled in the heart of Norton, Massachusetts, boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating its highly selective admissions process. Palm Beach Atlantic University, located in the vibrant city of West Palm Beach, Florida, offers a more accessible admissions process with a higher acceptance rate. While both institutions offer a diverse range of academic programs, Wheaton College is renowned for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, while Palm Beach Atlantic University excels in business, nursing, and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the ideal academic environment for your educational journey.

	Palm Beach Atlantic University	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	West Palm Beach, Florida	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	71.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Interdenominational	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.9%	86.3%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1030 - 1240	1250 - 1430
ACT range	20 - 26	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	77.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	1,923	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	1,728	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	505	546
Yield rate	29.2%	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	$53,668	$54,700
Average net price	$27,881	$28,319
Tuition	$33,538	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $23,465	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,286	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,922	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	52.3%	N/A
International students	4.4%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,228	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.8%	87.6%
Dropout rate	36.5%	3.1%
Transferred out	N/A	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792	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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