Bradley vs. IWU vs. IIT

Should I go to Bradley University or Illinois Wesleyan University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bradley or IWU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Bradley University vs. Illinois Wesleyan University vs. Illinois Institute of Technology comparison
Bradley University Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Institute of Technology College 4
Bradley University Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Institute of Technology
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Overview

 Bradley IWU IIT
Location Peoria, IL Bloomington, IL Chicago, IL
Setting Midsize City Small City Large City
Enrollment 5,217 1,576 8,563
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #192 #158 #270
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website bradley.edu iwu.edu iit.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Bradley IWU IIT
Tuition (In State) $39,248 $55,500 $49,643
Tuition (Out of State) $39,248 $55,500 $49,643
Room & Board $12,850 $12,930 $16,528
Avg Net Price $24,703 $31,310 $25,001
Avg Grant Aid $27,989 $36,999 $43,437
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100% 100%

Admission

 Bradley IWU IIT
Applied 10,138 6,128 8,912
Admitted 7,772 2,768 4,939
Acceptance Rate 76.7% 45.2% 55.4%
Enrolled % 10.7% 15.9% 10.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.86 3.84
Typical High School Grades A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/31 24/29 25/31
SAT Range 1090/1300 1140/1330 1180/1410
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 Bradley IWU IIT
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Engineering (50%)
  • Architecture (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (8%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Biology (4%)

Outcomes

 Bradley IWU IIT
Graduation Rate 75% 82% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,800 $60,500 $79,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 87% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279 $279

Diversity

 Bradley IWU IIT
% Men 9% 0% 37%
% Women 16% 0% 24%
Racial Diversity Medium Low Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 64% 71% 33%
% Black 5% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 7% 16%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3% 2%
% International 1% 9% 26%
% Unknown Race 20% 2% 4%

Students

 Bradley IWU IIT
% In-State 86% 77% 60%
% Out-of-State 14% 14% 29%

Campus

 Bradley IWU IIT
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No Yes
Daycare Facility No No No
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bradley University is larger than than IWU based on total student enrollment (5,217 students vs. 1,576 students)

Bradley vs. IWU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bradley or IWU?

  • Illinois Wesleyan University is 41.4% more expensive to attend than Bradley for in-state tuition ($55,500.00 vs. $39,248.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.4% higher at IWU than Bradley University ($55,500.00 vs. $39,248.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bradley University than IWU ($24,703 vs. $31,310)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bradley University are 0.6% lower than costs at Illinois Wesleyan University ($12,850 vs. $12,930)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Bradley University as Illinois Wesleyan University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Illinois Wesleyan University students is 32.2% larger than aid received Bradley University ($36,999 vs. $27,989)

Bradley vs. IWU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bradley or IWU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between IWU or Bradley .

  • The average SAT score at Illinois Wesleyan University (1249) is 86 points higher than at Bradley (1163)
  • Incoming IWU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Bradley (26)
  • Accepted freshman IWU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Bradley (3.83)
  • Bradley has a higher acceptance rate (76.7%) than IWU (45.2%)

Bradley vs. IWU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bradley or IWU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between IWU and Bradley.

  • The graduation rate at IWU is higher than Bradley University (82% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from Illinois Wesleyan University earn on average $3,700 more per year than Bradley graduates after ten years. ($60,500 vs. $56,800)
  • Illinois Wesleyan University and Bradley graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Illinois Wesleyan University and Bradley graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More IWU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bradley students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 75%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/