Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs College of Saint Benedict

Illinois Wesleyan University and College of Saint Benedict, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Illinois Wesleyan, a private liberal arts university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (69%) compared to College of Saint Benedict's selective admissions (59%). Both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, with popular majors in business, biology, and psychology. However, Illinois Wesleyan's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and a more balanced gender ratio. College of Saint Benedict, on the other hand, has a higher graduation rate (83%) and a stronger focus on community engagement. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of Saint Benedict	Illinois Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Saint Joseph, Minnesota	Bloomington, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	85.0%	85.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.8%	45.2%
Application fees
SAT range	1110 - 1220	1110 - 1310
ACT range	20 - 27	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	53.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	1,705	4,543
Total number of admissions given out	1,565	2,055
Admitted students who chose to enroll	389	432
Yield rate	24.9%	21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$64,600	$67,124
Average net price	$28,269	$30,610
Tuition	$48,990	$52,308
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,744 Meal plan: $5,830	Room/dormitory: $7,584 Meal plan: $4,528
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,926	100.0% Average amount $34,810
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,285	68.0% Average amount $5,692
Students taking out private loans	23.0% Average amount $14,950	35.0% Average amount $6,781

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,542 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	1,653 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students	15 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.9%	N/A
International students	2.8%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,657	1,308
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Texas Wisconsin Illinois California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Communication and Journalism	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.7%	81.1%
Dropout rate	4.2%	18.7%
Transferred out	19.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,506 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $64,967 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,133 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $63,835 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,618 Year 2: $51,607 Year 3: $60,918 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,526 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $50,148 Nutrition Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,764 Year 2: $38,906 Year 3: $47,379 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,234 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,921 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,557 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $40,533 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,176 Year 2: $34,298 Year 3: $38,443 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,663 Year 2: $31,127 Year 3: $37,417 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,025 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: N/A	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,305 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $77,743 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,838 Year 2: $62,792 Year 3: $73,001 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,460 Year 2: $62,775 Year 3: $69,764 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,302 Year 2: $50,356 Year 3: $56,336 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $46,139 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,272 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $39,988 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,075 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $30,321 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: N/A

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