Western Michigan University (WMU) vs East Carolina University

Western Michigan University (WMU) and East Carolina University (ECU) are two public universities with distinct characteristics. WMU, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has an acceptance rate of 80%, while ECU, situated in Greenville, North Carolina, has an acceptance rate of 72%. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Engineering, and Health Sciences at WMU, and Business, Education, and Nursing at ECU. WMU's student body is slightly larger, with over 23,000 students compared to ECU's 21,000. Additionally, WMU has a higher graduation rate of 62% compared to ECU's 58%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.
East Carolina University logo

East Carolina University

Western Michigan University logo

Western Michigan University

Overview

Location Greenville, North Carolina Kalamazoo, Michigan
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 81.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 93.9% 82.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $50
SAT range N/A 1000 - 1220
ACT range N/A 21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 7.0%
Total number of applicants 21,898 18,853
Total number of admissions given out 20,560 15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,100 2,112
Yield rate 19.9% 13.5%
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: $23,215

Out of state: $39,492
In state: $27,947

Out of state: $31,281
Average net price $14,762 $19,749
Tuition
In state: $4,452

Out of state: $20,729
In state: $13,334

Out of state: $16,668
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,630

Meal plan: $4,060
$10,884
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

63.0%
Average amount $7,761
95.0%
Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan 51.0%
Average amount $5,180
49.0%
Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $14,093
10.0%
Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 22,463
Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
14,587
Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students 5,558
Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
3,679
Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 13.6% 23.8%
International students 0.8% 7.3%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,203 5,130
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania New York Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 65.8% 56.3%
Dropout rate 8.3% 14.6%
Transferred out 24.1% 25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,089
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $156,994
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,084
  • Year 2: $98,551
  • Year 3: $99,673
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,078
  • Year 2: $86,590
  • Year 3: $95,227
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,013
  • Year 2: $78,719
  • Year 3: $81,578
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,120
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $80,376
Finance and Financial Management Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $70,471
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,817
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $69,508
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,622
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $69,466
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,056
  • Year 2: $58,447
  • Year 3: $68,486
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,979
  • Year 2: $55,840
  • Year 3: $68,003
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,212
  • Year 2: $103,274
  • Year 3: $105,179
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,392
  • Year 2: $73,801
  • Year 3: $88,332
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $87,977
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,143
  • Year 2: $65,945
  • Year 3: $79,982
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,346
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $77,922
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,069
  • Year 2: $73,562
  • Year 3: $77,263
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,557
  • Year 2: $70,776
  • Year 3: $75,447
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,559
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $73,968
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,118
  • Year 2: $63,749
  • Year 3: $72,465
Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,803
  • Year 2: $59,576
  • Year 3: $69,288

Compare Similar Colleges

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