SUNY Potsdam vs Westfield State

SUNY College at Potsdam and Westfield State University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Potsdam, nestled in the scenic North Country of New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Westfield's 68%. While Westfield's student body is slightly larger, Potsdam's student population is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students. Both universities excel in certain academic areas: Potsdam is known for its strong programs in the arts, music, and education, while Westfield shines in business, social sciences, and nursing. With comparable graduation rates, these institutions provide quality education, but their unique strengths and characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	SUNY College at Potsdam	Westfield State University
Overview
Location	Potsdam, New York	Westfield, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.3%	94.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	N/A	980 - 1190
ACT range	N/A	17 - 22
Students submitting SAT score		22.0%
Students submitting ACT score		1.0%
Total number of applicants	3,225	3,629
Total number of admissions given out	2,623	3,424
Admitted students who chose to enroll	416	802
Yield rate	15.9%	23.4%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $21,784 Out of state: $31,694	In state: $26,978 Out of state: $33,058
Average net price	$14,494	$19,194
Tuition	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,150 Meal plan: $5,800	Room/dormitory: $7,700 Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $10,014	84.0% Average amount $5,332
Students receiving federal student loan	71.0% Average amount $4,995	70.0% Average amount $4,971
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $11,185	14.0% Average amount $12,501

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,352 Men 37.6% Women 62.4%	4,239 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students	255 Men 27.8% Women 72.2%	774 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	3.9%	N/A
International students	0.8%	0.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,715	2,396
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York Vermont Connecticut New Jersey Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Visual & Performing Arts Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business	Education Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	21:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.8%	60.6%
Dropout rate	17.1%	38.6%
Transferred out	32.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,254 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,353 Year 2: $40,017 Year 3: $47,596 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,838 Year 2: $43,712 Year 3: $46,516 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,686 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $46,475 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,720 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $45,785 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,690 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $44,513 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,078 Year 2: $37,424 Year 3: $43,713 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,008 Year 2: $35,891 Year 3: $43,677 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,842 Year 2: $27,440 Year 3: $40,409 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $39,586	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,590 Year 2: $68,331 Year 3: $75,730 Psychology, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $62,932 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,162 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,432 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,050 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $53,190 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,915 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $52,819 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,968 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $50,467 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,790 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $49,846 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,669 Year 2: $42,754 Year 3: $49,217 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $48,175 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,660 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $47,659

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