Wheaton College vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Wheaton College and Point Loma Nazarene University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton College, nestled in the heart of Norton, Massachusetts, boasts a rigorous academic curriculum rooted in the Christian faith, while Point Loma Nazarene University, situated in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, emphasizes a holistic approach to education, integrating faith and scholarship. With acceptance rates of 49% and 75%, respectively, both universities attract a diverse student body, though Point Loma Nazarene University's larger size allows for a more varied demographic. While Wheaton College excels in the social sciences and humanities, Point Loma Nazarene University offers a wider range of programs, including popular majors in business, nursing, and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions between these two exceptional institutions and determine which best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Point Loma Nazarene University	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	San Diego, California	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	City: 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	84.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.7%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1170 - 1350	1250 - 1430
ACT range	22 - 30	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	15.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	3,060	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	2,560	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	662	546
Yield rate	25.9%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$62,642	$54,700
Average net price	$34,851	$28,319
Tuition	$38,800	$40,570
Room & board	$11,300	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)	100.0% Average amount $18,365	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,325	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $22,040	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,174 Men 34.3% Women 65.7%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	1,271 Men 29.2% Women 70.8%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	26.3%	N/A
International students	1.1%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,845	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Colorado Arizona Hawaii	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.7%	87.6%
Dropout rate	3.8%	3.1%
Transferred out	22.9%	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,619 Year 2: $118,210 Year 3: $128,990 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,406 Year 2: $85,206 Year 3: $89,492 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,310 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,351 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $76,001 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $74,448 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,649 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,139 Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,198 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $43,339 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,184 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,147 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,147 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,978 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,647 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,103	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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.