Widener vs Harvard

When it comes to higher education, Widener University and Harvard University stand as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. Widener, a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Harvard, an Ivy League institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its academic excellence and research opportunities. While both universities offer a top-notch education, they differ significantly in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Harvard University logo

Harvard University

Widener University logo

Widener University

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts Chester, Pennsylvania
Campus setting City: Midsize 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 96.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.0% 84.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $105
$35
SAT range 1480 - 1580 1080 - 1275
ACT range 33 - 36 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 54.0% 28.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0%
Total number of applicants 57,786 5,719
Total number of admissions given out 2,318 4,834
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,951 608
Yield rate 84.2% 12.6%
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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,028 $61,748
Average net price $13,910 $25,343
Tuition $51,143 $48,724
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,705

Meal plan: $7,236
Room/dormitory: $7,748

Meal plan: $7,060
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

56.0%
Average amount $59,840
100.0%
Average amount $32,036
Students receiving federal student loan 3.0%
Average amount $5,180
75.0%
Average amount $5,440
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,080
24.0%
Average amount $12,154

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0%
2,766
Men 41.9% Women 58.1%
Graduate students 21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
3,109
Men 28.1% Women 71.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 40.5%
International students 23.9% 2.0%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 12,874 1,400
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland Delaware New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 7:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.7% 68.4%
Dropout rate 2.0% 7.7%
Transferred out N/A 23.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,193
  • Year 2: $128,716
  • Year 3: $240,408
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $184,307
  • Year 2: $165,340
  • Year 3: $199,043
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $171,333
  • Year 2: $171,907
  • Year 3: $187,553
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,072
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: $163,896
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $151,371
  • Year 2: $174,023
  • Year 3: $163,512
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,508
  • Year 2: $117,916
  • Year 3: $129,281
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,832
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,707
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $121,771
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,905
  • Year 2: $98,670
  • Year 3: $107,389
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,745
  • Year 2: $71,486
  • Year 3: $106,375
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,072
  • Year 2: $69,023
  • Year 3: $78,834
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,872
  • Year 2: $72,274
  • Year 3: $77,715
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,994
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $74,855
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,854
  • Year 3: $74,433
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,168
  • Year 2: $50,606
  • Year 3: $72,346
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,959
  • Year 2: $63,275
  • Year 3: $70,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,088
  • Year 2: $60,320
  • Year 3: $69,444
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,960
  • Year 2: $55,632
  • Year 3: $65,158
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,724
  • Year 2: $38,829
  • Year 3: $63,971
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,130
  • Year 2: $59,640
  • Year 3: $63,186

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