Westfield State vs Maine USM

Westfield State University and University of Southern Maine, both esteemed public universities in their respective states, offer distinct educational experiences. Westfield State, located in the charming town of Westfield, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. In contrast, the University of Southern Maine, situated in the vibrant city of Portland, Maine, attracts a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While Westfield State excels in the fields of education and nursing, the University of Southern Maine shines in business and engineering programs. With comparable graduation rates, both universities ensure that their students are well-prepared for successful careers. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Southern Maine	Westfield State University
Overview
Location	Portland, Maine	Westfield, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
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	65.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	87.0%	94.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	995 - 1230	980 - 1190
ACT range	19 - 24	17 - 22
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	1.0%
Total number of applicants	5,397	3,629
Total number of admissions given out	4,695	3,424
Admitted students who chose to enroll	895	802
Yield rate	19.1%	23.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,842 Out of state: $37,842	In state: $26,978 Out of state: $33,058
Average net price	$9,793	$19,194
Tuition	In state: $8,064 Out of state: $22,064	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,460 Meal plan: $4,980	Room/dormitory: $7,700 Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $8,886	84.0% Average amount $5,332
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $4,969	70.0% Average amount $4,971
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $10,975	14.0% Average amount $12,501

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,956 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	4,239 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students	2,040 Men 25.3% Women 74.7%	774 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	23.4%	N/A
International students	1.2%	0.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,189	2,396
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Maine New Hampshire Mississippi Vermont Connecticut	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Legal Profession	Education Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	21:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	34.5%	60.6%
Dropout rate	33.0%	38.6%
Transferred out	30.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,041 Year 2: $95,169 Year 3: $100,726 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,660 Year 2: $61,728 Year 3: $71,074 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $52,579 Year 2: $55,594 Year 3: $65,574 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,254 Year 2: $57,422 Year 3: $60,602 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,123 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $55,627 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,644 Year 3: $54,835 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,681 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $51,356 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,716 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $50,246 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,148 Year 2: $45,767 Year 3: $49,334 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,098 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $48,118	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,590 Year 2: $68,331 Year 3: $75,730 Psychology, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $62,932 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,162 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,432 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,050 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $53,190 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,915 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $52,819 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,968 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $50,467 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,790 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $49,846 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,669 Year 2: $42,754 Year 3: $49,217 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $48,175 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,660 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $47,659

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