Western Washington University (WWU) vs Saint Martin's University

Western Washington University and Saint Martin's University, both esteemed institutions in Washington state, offer distinct educational experiences. Western, a public university, boasts a higher acceptance rate and larger student body, providing a diverse and vibrant campus community. Saint Martin's, a private university, offers a more selective admissions process and smaller class sizes, fostering a close-knit learning environment. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, Western is renowned for its strong programs in the sciences and arts, while Saint Martin's is known for its exceptional business and nursing programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Saint Martin's University	Western Washington University
Overview
Location	Lacey, Washington	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	80.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.6%	96.1%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $100
SAT range	995 - 1225	1090 - 1310
ACT range	18 - 23	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	2,653	10,580
Total number of admissions given out	1,900	10,167
Admitted students who chose to enroll	348	2,874
Yield rate	18.3%	28.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,463	In state: $26,634 Out of state: $43,861
Average net price	$23,964	$11,388
Tuition	$40,210	In state: $7,572 Out of state: $24,799
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $6,880	$13,079
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $32,101	82.0% Average amount $7,112
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,609	29.0% Average amount $4,929
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $15,185	3.0% Average amount $15,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,358 Men 39.1% Women 60.9%	14,019 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	258 Men 45.0% Women 55.0%	1,106 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	2.1%	1.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	630	3,985
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Engineering Education Health Professions Business	Education Psychology Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.9%	67.7%
Dropout rate	7.3%	30.6%
Transferred out	30.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,996 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $72,304 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,495 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $72,162 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,524 Year 2: $66,045 Year 3: $70,114 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,139 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $63,546 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,546 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $53,276 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,908 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $52,388 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,606 Year 2: $44,077 Year 3: $47,792 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,669 Year 2: $38,048 Year 3: $46,357 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,783 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $25,425 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,491 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,837 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $92,019 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,492 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $78,577 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,314 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,877 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,624 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,599 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,592 Year 2: $60,920 Year 3: $64,540 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $60,325 Year 3: $64,302 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,243 Year 2: $49,572 Year 3: $60,999 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,788 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $58,090 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,818 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $57,268 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,065 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $57,167

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