WAU-DC vs University of Charleston

Washington Adventist University (WAU) and University of Charleston (UC) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. WAU, a private Christian university, boasts a 100% acceptance rate, while UC, a private nonsectarian university, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 75%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors at WAU including nursing, biology, and business administration, and popular majors at UC including nursing, business administration, and education. WAU's student body is predominantly female (63%) and religiously affiliated (70%), while UC's student body is more evenly split between genders (49% female, 51% male) and religiously diverse. WAU has a higher graduation rate (68%) compared to UC (58%). To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these
University of Charleston logo

University of Charleston

Washington Adventist University logo

Washington Adventist University

Overview

Location Charleston, West Virginia Takoma Park, Maryland
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 74.0% 65.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 69.7% 61.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $50
$25
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 1,984 1,744
Total number of admissions given out 1,383 1,077
Admitted students who chose to enroll 246 56
Yield rate 17.8% 5.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $47,450 $32,200
Average net price $20,086 $13,414
Tuition $30,900 $23,400
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,450

Meal plan: $4,350
Room/dormitory: $4,470

Meal plan: $5,628
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $24,484
95.0%
Average amount $14,746
Students receiving federal student loan 57.0%
Average amount $5,403
47.0%
Average amount $7,102
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $10,756
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,162
Men 58.6% Women 41.4%
690
Men 33.9% Women 66.1%
Graduate students 764
Men 58.0% Women 42.0%
95
Men 25.3% Women 74.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 35.1% 32.1%
International students 6.1% 9.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 756 400
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from West Virginia Ohio Virginia Florida Pennsylvania Maryland District of Columbia Virginia Florida New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Education
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 43.0% 40.0%
Dropout rate 20.9% 57.1%
Transferred out 35.1% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,123
  • Year 2: $119,148
  • Year 3: $126,458
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,686
  • Year 2: $96,627
  • Year 3: $106,180
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,859
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,910
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,671
  • Year 2: $57,564
  • Year 3: $60,223
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,971
  • Year 2: $46,478
  • Year 3: $51,510
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,904
  • Year 2: $44,928
  • Year 3: $50,637
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,786
  • Year 2: $46,321
  • Year 3: $49,711
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $46,400
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,569
  • Year 3: N/A
Security Policy and Strategy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: N/A
N/A

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