Western Illinois University (WIU) vs Governors State

Western Illinois University and Governors State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Illinois University, nestled in the charming town of Macomb, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Its sprawling campus is home to a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors including Business, Education, and Psychology. In contrast, Governors State University, located in University Park, has a more selective admissions process, resulting in a smaller and more focused student body. It excels in fields such as Business, Criminal Justice, and Nursing. While Western Illinois University prides itself on its traditional residential college experience, Governors State University embraces a commuter-friendly approach, catering to students with busy schedules. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Governors State University	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	University Park, Illinois	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Town: Remote
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	48.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.1%	72.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	830 - 1060	N/A
ACT range	16 - 22	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%
Total number of applicants	1,168	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	608	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	194	920
Yield rate	31.9%	17.7%
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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,746 Out of state: $33,258	$29,140
Average net price	$9,943	$11,666
Tuition	In state: $7,512 Out of state: $15,024	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,729 Meal plan: $3,000	Room/dormitory: $6,240 Meal plan: $3,952
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $10,791	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $5,514	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $5,587	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,709 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	1,686 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	5.2%	9.7%
International students	7.3%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	272	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Indiana Florida Michigan Ohio	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Psychology Liberal Arts	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	15.8%	50.9%
Dropout rate	37.4%	16.5%
Transferred out	43.8%	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,815 Year 2: $93,224 Year 3: $95,009 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,988 Year 2: $81,491 Year 3: $87,571 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,354 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $81,519 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,424 Year 2: $75,270 Year 3: $77,385 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,463 Year 2: $65,695 Year 3: $72,555 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $66,333 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,558 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $52,548 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,935 Year 3: $51,608 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,325 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,565 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,762 Year 2: $44,595 Year 3: $51,524	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,427 Year 2: $63,166 Year 3: $79,149 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,346 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $72,457 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,220 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $65,823 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,904 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,827 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $64,741 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,966 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $63,350 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,154 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $54,520 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,063 Year 2: $43,612 Year 3: $53,379 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,058 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $52,271 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,853 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $51,827

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