Quad

Head-to-head

Western Illinois
Washburn

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Washburn's grants cover 38% of its full price on average, vs. 28% at Western Illinois

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Washburn costs about $5.5K less per year on average than Western Illinois ($15,396 vs. $20,870, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Washburn has 6 pts more Pell recipients than Western Illinois (34% vs. 28%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    Western Illinois grads earn $4.4K more ten years out than Washburn's ($54,163 vs. $49,774)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Washburn graduates 3 pts more of its students than Western Illinois (60% vs. 57%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Washburn is a bit larger (4,562 vs. 4,410)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Western Illinois admits 71%; Washburn doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Western Illinois71%
WashburnNot reported
Quad's selectivity
  • Western IllinoisAccessible
  • WashburnNot rated
SAT middle 50%
Western IllinoisTest-blind
WashburnNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Western IllinoisGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • WashburnRigor, GPA, and tests very important35%

Who's on each campus

Western Illinois and Washburn are about the same size; Washburn has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Western Illinois4.4K
Washburn4.6K
Pell Grant share
Western Illinois28%
Washburn34%

Majors and faculty

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration leads at Western Illinois, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at Washburn.

Students per faculty member
Western Illinois12 to 1
Washburn15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Western IllinoisCriminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration14%
  • WashburnRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse19%

What each costs

Washburn costs about $5.5K less a year than Western Illinois on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Western Illinois$20.9K
Washburn$15.4K
Aid generosity
Western Illinois28%
Washburn38%

What each pays off

Western Illinois's former students earn more, a median $54.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Western Illinois$54.2K
Washburn$49.8K
Graduation rate
Western Illinois57%
Washburn60%

How each has changed

Applications fell at Western Illinois, whose selectivity held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Western IllinoisShrinking−19%
  • WashburnNot reported
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Washburn University Common Data Set 2017–18, Fall 2017About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why