West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA) vs Villanova University

West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Pennsylvania, offer distinct educational experiences. West Chester, a public university, boasts an acceptance rate of 79%, while Villanova, a private university, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 34%. West Chester's diverse student body comprises over 17,000 undergraduates, while Villanova's more intimate community consists of approximately 6,500 undergraduates. Both universities excel in academics, with popular majors ranging from business and nursing to engineering and education. However, Villanova's higher graduation rate of 89% compared to West Chester's 62% indicates a stronger focus on student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Villanova University logo

Villanova University

West Chester University of Pennsylvania logo

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Overview

Location Villanova, Pennsylvania West Chester, Pennsylvania
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 25.2% 89.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1350 - 1490 1070 - 1250
ACT range 31 - 34 23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 28.0% 27.0%
Students submitting ACT score 17.0% 1.0%
Total number of applicants 24,410 14,020
Total number of admissions given out 6,162 12,528
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,772 2,628
Yield rate 28.8% 21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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 $77,806
In state: $28,419

Out of state: $40,243
Average net price $33,123 $14,133
Tuition $58,290
In state: $7,716

Out of state: $19,290
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,236

Meal plan: $7,150
Room/dormitory: $5,794

Meal plan: $3,700
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

52.0%
Average amount $43,106
100.0%
Average amount $4,607
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $5,267
51.0%
Average amount $5,238
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $29,933
11.0%
Average amount $11,835

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,032
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
14,471
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Graduate students 3,838
Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
3,143
Men 31.7% Women 68.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 80.7% 11.4%
International students 3.6% 0.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,400 5,128
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Connecticut Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware Maryland New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.3% 72.8%
Dropout rate 1.5% 7.6%
Transferred out 7.2% 18.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,668
  • Year 2: $165,766
  • Year 3: $171,511
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,137
  • Year 2: $100,740
  • Year 3: $121,765
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,590
  • Year 2: $109,095
  • Year 3: $118,365
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,687
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $106,587
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,782
  • Year 2: $71,351
  • Year 3: $91,484
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,757
  • Year 2: $73,579
  • Year 3: $88,419
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,583
  • Year 2: $80,218
  • Year 3: $88,254
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,297
  • Year 2: $71,947
  • Year 3: $86,990
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,492
  • Year 2: $72,214
  • Year 3: $85,108
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,115
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $84,596
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,514
  • Year 2: $91,211
  • Year 3: $102,513
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,034
  • Year 2: $70,863
  • Year 3: $83,078
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,346
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $74,076
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,184
  • Year 2: $59,253
  • Year 3: $67,374
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,978
  • Year 2: $57,589
  • Year 3: $65,537
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,367
  • Year 2: $53,508
  • Year 3: $61,456
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,396
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $58,904
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,608
  • Year 3: $57,532
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,096
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: $56,740
Music (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $56,355

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