West Virginia University (WVU) vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

West Virginia University (WVU) and University of Central Arkansas (UCA) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. WVU, located in Morgantown, West Virginia, boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to UCA in Conway, Arkansas. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, WVU excels in engineering, health professions, and business, while UCA is renowned for its strong programs in education, nursing, and business. Additionally, WVU has a higher graduation rate than UCA, indicating a greater success rate in helping students complete their degrees. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, providing valuable insights into the distinct offerings and strengths of each university.

	University of Central Arkansas	West Virginia University
Overview
Location	Conway, Arkansas	Morgantown, West Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
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	71.0%	81.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.4%	89.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60
SAT range	980 - 1160	1030 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 26	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	94.0%	38.0%
Total number of applicants	6,057	17,074
Total number of admissions given out	5,595	15,336
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,854	4,313
Yield rate	33.1%	28.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not 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: $25,219 Out of state: $32,089	In state: $21,756 Out of state: $38,100
Average net price	$14,042	$13,422
Tuition	In state: $6,870 Out of state: $13,740	In state: $8,976 Out of state: $25,320
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,326 Meal plan: $3,570	Room/dormitory: $6,184 Meal plan: $5,504
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $7,693	89.0% Average amount $10,867
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,106	52.0% Average amount $5,294
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $10,426	15.0% Average amount $16,332

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,244 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	19,599 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Graduate students	1,861 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%	5,875 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	7.9%	55.3%
International students	3.8%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	3,675	6,956
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Tennessee Alabama	West Virginia Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Business Engineering Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.4%	63.9%
Dropout rate	19.1%	11.3%
Transferred out	29.7%	22.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,284 Year 2: $92,358 Year 3: $96,070 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,491 Year 2: $70,736 Year 3: $76,640 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,696 Year 2: $67,548 Year 3: $65,753 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,174 Year 2: $58,842 Year 3: $59,396 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,787 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,030 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,827 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $55,240 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,080 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $52,677 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,462 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $52,542 Library Science, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,140 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $49,838 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,755 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,837	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $112,323 Year 2: $125,015 Year 3: $143,709 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,140 Year 2: $118,155 Year 3: $119,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,573 Year 2: $94,763 Year 3: $96,536 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,732 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $91,425 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,711 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $82,001 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,468 Year 2: $61,303 Year 3: $79,782 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,292 Year 2: $68,047 Year 3: $77,798 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,506 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $77,273 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,040 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $76,205 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,477 Year 2: $66,069 Year 3: $76,022

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