University of San Diego vs Willamette University

Nestled in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, and the charming city of Salem, Oregon, University of San Diego (USD) and Willamette University stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences shaped by their distinct locations, academic strengths, and student demographics. USD boasts a diverse student body, with over 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students representing various backgrounds and cultures. In contrast, Willamette University maintains a smaller, close-knit community of around 2,500 undergraduate students, fostering a more intimate learning environment. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key differences between these two esteemed universities, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
University of San Diego logo

University of San Diego

Willamette University logo

Willamette University

Overview

Location San Diego, California Salem, Oregon
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 80.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 52.7% 79.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $45
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 14,326 3,680
Total number of admissions given out 7,550 2,930
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,166 260
Yield rate 15.4% 8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,982 $60,106
Average net price $34,155 $37,400
Tuition $52,120 $43,500
Room & board $16,246
Room/dormitory: $7,150

Meal plan: $6,650
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

82.0%
Average amount $34,413
99.0%
Average amount $30,413
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $5,216
50.0%
Average amount $5,145
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $12,155
7.0%
Average amount $15,973

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,702
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
1,236
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students 3,339
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
549
Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 45.5% N/A
International students 6.2% 2.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 2,484 1,228
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome

Graduation rate 80.0% 72.0%
Dropout rate 19.5% 28.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,672
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $115,744
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,123
  • Year 2: $89,672
  • Year 3: $102,690
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,786
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $98,598
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,329
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $93,985
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,367
  • Year 2: $73,391
  • Year 3: $92,346
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,417
  • Year 2: $75,706
  • Year 3: $84,924
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,970
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $84,277
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,809
  • Year 2: $61,962
  • Year 3: $75,083
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,424
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $72,729
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,434
  • Year 2: $61,069
  • Year 3: $72,310
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,562
  • Year 2: $73,530
  • Year 3: $85,115
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,741
  • Year 2: $49,102
  • Year 3: $65,240
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,509
  • Year 2: $39,909
  • Year 3: $57,544
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,011
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $48,905
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,615
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $41,516
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,482
  • Year 2: $27,204
  • Year 3: $39,994
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,357
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: $36,208
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: $33,257
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,292
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $32,785
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,658
  • Year 3: $29,070

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