Western Michigan University (WMU) vs Eastern Michigan University

Western Michigan University (WMU) and Eastern Michigan University (EMU) are two public universities located in Michigan, each with its own unique strengths and characteristics. WMU, situated in Kalamazoo, boasts a higher acceptance rate (79%) compared to EMU's 73%, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. In terms of student body demographics, WMU has a slightly larger undergraduate population, while EMU has a higher percentage of graduate students. Both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, with popular majors including business, education, and health sciences. However, WMU has a slightly higher graduation rate (62%) compared to EMU's 59%. To help you make an informed decision about which university better aligns with your academic goals and preferences, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more. Explore the table to discover the key differences between WMU and EMU and find the institution that best suits your individual needs and
Eastern Michigan University logo

Eastern Michigan University

Western Michigan University logo

Western Michigan University

Overview

Location Ypsilanti, Michigan Kalamazoo, Michigan
Campus setting Suburb: Large 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 69.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 84.6% 82.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $45
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $50
SAT range 930 - 1180 1000 - 1220
ACT range 18 - 25 21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 55.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 8.0% 7.0%
Total number of applicants 17,506 18,853
Total number of admissions given out 14,811 15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,312 2,112
Yield rate 15.6% 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 $31,022
In state: $27,947

Out of state: $31,281
Average net price $16,311 $19,749
Tuition $13,950
In state: $13,334

Out of state: $16,668
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,450

Meal plan: $5,724
$10,884
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $9,182
95.0%
Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan 48.0%
Average amount $5,579
49.0%
Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $12,079
10.0%
Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 12,730
Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
14,587
Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students 2,610
Men 31.9% Women 68.1%
3,679
Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 14.2% 23.8%
International students 2.7% 7.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 3,290 5,130
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Michigan Ohio Illinois Indiana Florida Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Social Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 48.2% 56.3%
Dropout rate 48.4% 14.6%
Transferred out N/A 25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,034
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $78,068
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,313
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $74,479
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,154
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $70,947
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,705
  • Year 2: $59,425
  • Year 3: $68,573
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $61,218
  • Year 3: $67,436
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,660
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $65,596
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,000
  • Year 2: $62,409
  • Year 3: $64,700
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,397
  • Year 2: $56,415
  • Year 3: $63,891
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,555
  • Year 2: $54,192
  • Year 3: $63,676
Science, Technology and Society (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,309
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $62,126
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

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs University of Central Arkansas University of Central Arkansas
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs California State University-Chico California State University-Chico
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs California State University-Northridge California State University-Northridge
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Metropolitan State University of Denver Metropolitan State University of Denver
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Colorado
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Ball State University Ball State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Butler University Butler University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Purdue University Fort Wayne Purdue University Fort Wayne
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Indiana State University Indiana State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Morehead State University Morehead State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Murray State University Murray State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Central Michigan University Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Michigan State University Michigan State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud State University
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Miami University-Oxford Miami University-Oxford
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Wright State University-Main Campus Wright State University-Main Campus
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Texas A & M University-Commerce Texas A & M University-Commerce
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs University of Wisconsin-Whitewater University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs University of Wisconsin-Green Bay University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University vs Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University
Western Michigan University WMU vs California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Western Michigan University WMU vs California State University-Fullerton California State University-Fullerton
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Colorado
Western Michigan University WMU vs Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Illinois State University Illinois State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Western Michigan University WMU vs Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Western Michigan University WMU vs Western Illinois University Western Illinois University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Ball State University Ball State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Indiana State University Indiana State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Northern Iowa University of Northern Iowa
Western Michigan University WMU vs Central Michigan University Central Michigan University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Ferris State University Ferris State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Michigan State University Michigan State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Michigan-Dearborn University of Michigan-Dearborn
Western Michigan University WMU vs Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota-Duluth
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Missouri-St Louis University of Missouri-St Louis
Western Michigan University WMU vs Appalachian State University Appalachian State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs East Carolina University East Carolina University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Wright State University-Main Campus Wright State University-Main Campus
Western Michigan University WMU vs Portland State University Portland State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs Texas State University Texas State University
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Vermont University of Vermont
Western Michigan University WMU vs Old Dominion University Old Dominion University
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Wisconsin-Whitewater University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Wisconsin-Green Bay University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Western Michigan University WMU vs University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh