Widener vs Drexel University

When it comes to higher education in Pennsylvania, Widener University and Drexel University stand out as two prominent institutions with distinct offerings. Widener, a private university with a picturesque campus in Chester, boasts a strong liberal arts foundation and a focus on experiential learning. Drexel, a private research university located in the heart of Philadelphia, is renowned for its cooperative education program, which seamlessly integrates classroom learning with real-world work experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Drexel University logo

Drexel University

Widener University logo

Widener University

Overview

Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Chester, Pennsylvania
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 90.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 82.6% 84.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $65
$35
SAT range 1210 - 1410 1080 - 1275
ACT range 26 - 32 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 37.0% 28.0%
Students submitting ACT score 9.0%
Total number of applicants 34,519 5,719
Total number of admissions given out 28,522 4,834
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,854 608
Yield rate 10.0% 12.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $77,478 $61,748
Average net price $26,076 $25,343
Tuition $54,766 $48,724
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,320

Meal plan: $6,168
Room/dormitory: $7,748

Meal plan: $7,060
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $33,241
100.0%
Average amount $32,036
Students receiving federal student loan 61.0%
Average amount $5,326
75.0%
Average amount $5,440
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $25,237
24.0%
Average amount $12,154

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,413
Men 51.2% Women 48.8%
2,766
Men 41.9% Women 58.1%
Graduate students 8,803
Men 36.1% Women 63.9%
3,109
Men 28.1% Women 71.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 50.5% 40.5%
International students 9.2% 2.0%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,667 1,400
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland California Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland Delaware New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 78.2% 68.4%
Dropout rate 21.1% 7.7%
Transferred out N/A 23.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,513
  • Year 2: $101,964
  • Year 3: $119,120
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,960
  • Year 2: $111,501
  • Year 3: $117,719
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,740
  • Year 2: $97,737
  • Year 3: $113,456
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,372
  • Year 2: $99,516
  • Year 3: $111,283
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,146
  • Year 2: $102,258
  • Year 3: $105,288
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,747
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $103,890
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $122,646
  • Year 2: $88,448
  • Year 3: $103,671
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,245
  • Year 2: $95,473
  • Year 3: $99,676
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,985
  • Year 2: $93,520
  • Year 3: $96,267
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,020
  • Year 2: $92,632
  • Year 3: $95,367
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,072
  • Year 2: $69,023
  • Year 3: $78,834
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,872
  • Year 2: $72,274
  • Year 3: $77,715
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,994
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $74,855
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,854
  • Year 3: $74,433
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,168
  • Year 2: $50,606
  • Year 3: $72,346
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,959
  • Year 2: $63,275
  • Year 3: $70,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,088
  • Year 2: $60,320
  • Year 3: $69,444
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,960
  • Year 2: $55,632
  • Year 3: $65,158
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,724
  • Year 2: $38,829
  • Year 3: $63,971
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,130
  • Year 2: $59,640
  • Year 3: $63,186

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