Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) vs Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU)

Western Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University, both esteemed public universities in Connecticut, offer distinct educational experiences. Western, located in Danbury, boasts a higher acceptance rate (79%) compared to Southern's 69%, making it a more accessible option. Southern, situated in New Haven, attracts a larger student body, with an enrollment of over 10,000 students compared to Western's 5,000. While Western excels in fields like nursing and education, Southern shines in business and psychology. Both universities share a commitment to diversity, with Southern having a slightly higher percentage of international students. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southern Connecticut State University	Western Connecticut State University
Overview
Location	New Haven, Connecticut	Danbury, Connecticut
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	72.0%	69.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.9%	84.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	7,294	4,688
Total number of admissions given out	6,049	3,978
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,022	733
Yield rate	16.9%	18.4%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,686 Out of state: $40,090	In state: $28,783 Out of state: $42,187
Average net price	$18,493	$15,660
Tuition	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,438 Meal plan: $6,228	Room/dormitory: $8,020 Meal plan: $5,856
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $6,478	78.0% Average amount $6,312
Students receiving federal student loan	68.0% Average amount $5,267	58.0% Average amount $7,417
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,508	5.0% Average amount $12,388

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,800 Men 37.5% Women 62.5%	4,172 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Graduate students	1,988 Men 24.7% Women 75.3%	630 Men 25.4% Women 74.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	9.4%	28.6%
International students	1.1%	0.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,509	1,315
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut New York Mississippi New Jersey Georgia	Connecticut New York New Jersey Mississippi Maine

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Psychology Public Administration and Social Service	Business Psychology Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	52.3%	52.9%
Dropout rate	14.7%	12.0%
Transferred out	30.6%	31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $73,779 Year 2: $75,072 Year 3: $81,441 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,460 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $74,943 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,714 Year 2: $64,706 Year 3: $73,822 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,286 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $62,933 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,930 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $60,874 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,046 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $55,879 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $57,138 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $55,763 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,671 Year 2: $50,263 Year 3: $54,461 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $53,125 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,635 Year 2: $54,032 Year 3: $52,600	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,081 Year 2: $75,104 Year 3: $76,468 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,332 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $70,455 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,994 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $65,192 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $58,464 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,944 Year 2: $46,321 Year 3: $51,949 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,260 Year 2: $41,464 Year 3: $50,288 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,672 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $49,639 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,963 Year 2: $45,340 Year 3: $47,607 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,029 Year 2: $41,441 Year 3: $44,462 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,205 Year 2: $35,877 Year 3: $43,291

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