CMU vs. WMU vs. Michigan State vs. Coastal Carolina

Should I go to Central Michigan University or Western Michigan University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CMU or WMU 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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Central Michigan University vs. Western Michigan University vs. Michigan State University vs. Coastal Carolina University comparison
Central Michigan University Western Michigan University Michigan State University Coastal Carolina University
Central Michigan University Western Michigan University Michigan State University Coastal Carolina University
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Overview

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Location Mount Pleasant, MI Kalamazoo, MI East Lansing, MI Conway, SC
Setting Distant Town Small City Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 14,399 16,693 51,316 10,829
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #802 #631 #227 #767
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmich.edu wmich.edu msu.edu coastal.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Tuition (In State) $13,740 $15,198 $15,648 $11,460
Tuition (Out of State) $13,740 $18,998 $43,032 $29,448
Room & Board $12,178 $11,713 $11,754 $11,418
Avg Net Price $15,826 $20,183 $24,630 $14,453
Avg Grant Aid $10,638 $8,217 $8,147 $9,939
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 91% 96% 87%

Admission

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Applied 18,102 20,100 58,879 18,223
Admitted 16,474 17,020 49,414 14,613
Acceptance Rate 91% 84.7% 83.9% 24.8%
Enrolled % 12.4% 14.5% 19.3% 5.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.47 3.5 3.72 3.72
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Moderate Very High Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 20/27 26/31 20/26
SAT Range 960/1210 990/1220 1150/1350 1050/1210
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) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 16:1 17:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Business (5%)
  • Biology (2%)
  • Education (2%)
  • Communication (1%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (1%)

Outcomes

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Graduation Rate 54% 56% 77% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,500 $48,900 $60,000 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 54% 68% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,633 $25,484 $24,930
Median Loan Payment $279 $275 $263 $257

Diversity

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
% Men 13% 8% 9% 2%
% Women 17% 14% 12% 3%
Racial Diversity Low Low Medium Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 79% 72% 67% 68%
% Black 8% 12% 7% 20%
% Hispanic 4% 5% 4% 4%
% Native American 1% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3% 3% 5%
% International 2% 4% 13% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 1% 1% 0%

Students

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
% In-State 88% 78% 76% 31%
% Out-of-State 8% 21% 18% 68%

Campus

 CMU WMU Michigan State Coastal Carolina
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes Yes No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Michigan University is larger than than CMU based on total student enrollment (16,693 students vs. 14,399 students)

CMU vs. WMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CMU or WMU?

  • Western Michigan University is 10.6% more expensive to attend than CMU for in-state tuition ($15,198.00 vs. $13,740.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.3% higher at WMU than Central Michigan University ($18,998.00 vs. $13,740.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Central Michigan University than WMU ($15,826 vs. $20,183)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Michigan University are 4% lower than costs at Central Michigan University ($11,713 vs. $12,178)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Central Michigan University than Western Michigan University (95% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Central Michigan University students is 29.5% larger than aid received Western Michigan University ($10,638 vs. $8,217)

CMU vs. WMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Central Michigan University (1049) is 19 points higher than at WMU (1030)
  • Incoming CMU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at WMU (22)
  • Accepted freshman WMU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at CMU (3.47)
  • CMU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than WMU (84.7%)

CMU vs. WMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CMU or WMU? 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 WMU and CMU.

  • The graduation rate at WMU is higher than Central Michigan University (56% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Western Michigan University earn on average $4,400 more per year than CMU graduates after ten years. ($48,900 vs. $44,500)
  • Western Michigan University students graduate with a $367 lower median federal student loan debt than CMU graduates. ($26,633 vs. $27,000)
  • WMU graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than CMU graduates. ($275 vs. $279)
  • More WMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMU students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 54%)

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