American Public University System (APSU) vs Vanguard University of Southern California

American Public University System (APUS) and Vanguard University of Southern California (Vanguard) stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each catering to unique student populations and academic pursuits. APUS, a renowned online university, boasts an open admissions policy, welcoming a diverse student body from all walks of life. In contrast, Vanguard, a private Christian university, maintains a selective admissions process, ensuring a cohesive and faith-based community. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, APUS excels in business and technology fields, while Vanguard shines in liberal arts and sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	American Public University System	Vanguard University of Southern California
Overview
Location	Charles Town, West Virginia	Costa Mesa, California
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Non Traditional	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	69.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	980 - 1200
ACT range	N/A	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		12.0%
Students submitting ACT score		5.0%
Total number of applicants		2,917
Total number of admissions given out		2,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll		500
Yield rate		24.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$17,496	$60,800
Average net price	$11,916	$20,427
Tuition	$6,840	$37,000
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $6,588 Meal plan: $5,430
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	78.0% Average amount $5,082	100.0% Average amount $27,535
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $8,334	95.0% Average amount $5,626
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	3.0% Average amount $15,362

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	38,969 Men 63.6% Women 36.4%	1,975 Men 31.5% Women 68.5%
Graduate students	9,329 Men 61.1% Women 38.9%	293 Men 31.4% Women 68.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.3%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	N/A	1,049
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Liberal Arts Health Professions Computer and Information Science	Psychology Business Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.3%	61.5%
Dropout rate	33.6%	37.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,507 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $86,066 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,935 Year 2: $82,685 Year 3: $84,578 International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,770 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $81,412 International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,015 Year 2: $73,992 Year 3: $80,757 Homeland Security (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,045 Year 2: $71,295 Year 3: $73,219 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,468 Year 2: $60,192 Year 3: $69,785 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,979 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $69,285 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,224 Year 2: $66,728 Year 3: $68,822 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,442 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $67,674 International/Global Studies (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $64,432	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $116,679 Year 3: $134,779 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $91,857 Year 2: $91,300 Year 3: $89,882 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $60,756 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,112 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,596 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,217 Year 2: $40,697 Year 3: $45,892 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,348 Year 3: $42,899 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,413 Year 2: $33,043 Year 3: $39,397 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $37,493 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $35,701 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $35,495

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American Public University System (APSU) vs Vanguard University of Southern California

American Public University System

Vanguard University of Southern California

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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