Dickinson College vs Wheaton College

Dickinson College and Wheaton College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Dickinson, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, boasts a lower acceptance rate (29%) compared to Wheaton's 34% in Norton, Massachusetts. Dickinson's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate population of 2,300 compared to Wheaton's 1,600. While both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, Dickinson is known for its strength in the social sciences, while Wheaton excels in the natural sciences. Dickinson's graduation rate stands at 88%, while Wheaton's is slightly higher at 90%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these colleges' unique characteristics and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dickinson College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Carlisle, Pennsylvania	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	48.1%	86.3%
Application fees	$65	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	1250 - 1430
ACT range	N/A	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		25.0%
Total number of applicants	6,366	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	3,061	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	677	546
Yield rate	22.1%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,300	$54,700
Average net price	$20,913	$28,319
Tuition	$58,158	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,866 Meal plan: $7,386	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $39,555	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $3,696	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $9,232	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,180 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	6 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	12.3%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,118	2,153
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	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies Computer and Information Science	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.4%	87.6%
Dropout rate	17.6%	3.1%
Transferred out	N/A	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,304 Year 2: $51,750 Year 3: $73,244 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,684 Year 2: $50,320 Year 3: $56,449 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $55,723 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $49,550 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,461 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $48,836 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,322 Year 2: $40,737 Year 3: $43,711 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $43,177 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,473 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $42,465 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,634 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,617 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $38,644	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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