Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs Northland College

Illinois Wesleyan University and Northland College, while both offering excellent educational opportunities, present distinct differences that may influence your college choice. Illinois Wesleyan, located in Bloomington, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to Northland College's 68% in Ashland, Wisconsin. In terms of student body demographics, Illinois Wesleyan has a larger undergraduate population (1,700 students) and a more diverse student body, while Northland College offers a smaller, more intimate learning environment with approximately 1,000 undergraduates. When it comes to popular majors, Illinois Wesleyan excels in the liberal arts and sciences, while Northland College emphasizes environmental science and natural resources. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two institutions, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Illinois Wesleyan University	Northland College
Overview
Location	Bloomington, Illinois	Ashland, Wisconsin
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	85.0%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	45.2%	57.7%
Application fees
SAT range	1110 - 1310	1010 - 1160
ACT range	24 - 29	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	50.0%
Total number of applicants	4,543	1,436
Total number of admissions given out	2,055	828
Admitted students who chose to enroll	432	124
Yield rate	21.0%	15.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$67,124	$53,032
Average net price	$30,610	$22,994
Tuition	$52,308	$38,376
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,584 Meal plan: $4,528	Room/dormitory: $4,470 Meal plan: $6,104
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,810	100.0% Average amount $28,740
Students receiving federal student loan	68.0% Average amount $5,692	69.0% Average amount $5,173
Students taking out private loans	35.0% Average amount $6,781	13.0% Average amount $13,657

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,653 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	531 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	67.5%
International students	3.4%	6.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,308	500
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Wisconsin Minnesota Illinois Michigan Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts	Physical Science Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Business
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.1%	58.3%
Dropout rate	18.7%	25.2%
Transferred out	N/A	16.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,122 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Natural Resources and Conservation, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,937 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,854 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,129 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs Northland College

Illinois Wesleyan University

Northland College

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Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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