Quad

Head-to-head

Northern Michigan
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Northern Michigan's grants cover 37% of its full price on average, vs. 14% at U. Wisconsin-Whitewater

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    U. Wisconsin-Whitewater's yield is 9 pts higher than Northern Michigan's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    U. Wisconsin-Whitewater graduates 9 pts more of its students than Northern Michigan (65% vs. 56%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    U. Wisconsin-Whitewater is more diverse (index 0.38 vs. 0.30)

    Diversity index
  5. 5

    U. Wisconsin-Whitewater grads earn $8.2K more ten years out than Northern Michigan's ($55,356 vs. $47,107)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    U. Wisconsin-Whitewater is a bit larger (9,405 vs. 6,556)

    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

Northern Michigan admits 84%, U. Wisconsin-Whitewater 86%; U. Wisconsin-Whitewater's yield is higher, at 25%.

Acceptance rate
Northern Michigan84%
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater86%
Quad's selectivity
  • Northern MichiganAccessible
  • U. Wisconsin-WhitewaterAccessible
ACT middle 50%Axis 13–36
Northern MichiganTest-blind
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater
17–24
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Northern MichiganGPA and school record required
  • U. Wisconsin-WhitewaterGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

U. Wisconsin-Whitewater is a bit larger than Northern Michigan (9,405 vs. 6,556 undergrads); Northern Michigan has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Northern Michigan6.6K
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater9.4K
Pell Grant share
Northern Michigan28%
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater25%

Majors and faculty

Biology/Biological Sciences leads at Northern Michigan, and Finance at U. Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Students per faculty member
Northern Michigan18 to 1
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater21 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Northern MichiganBiology/Biological Sciences, General9%
  • U. Wisconsin-WhitewaterFinance, General11%

What each costs

Northern Michigan and U. Wisconsin-Whitewater cost about the same a year on average; Northern Michigan's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northern Michigan$18.9K
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater$18.4K
Aid generosity
Northern Michigan37%
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater14%

What each pays off

U. Wisconsin-Whitewater's former students earn more, a median $55.4K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northern Michigan$47.1K
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater$55.4K
Graduation rate
Northern Michigan56%
U. Wisconsin-Whitewater65%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Northern MichiganGrowing+78%
  • U. Wisconsin-WhitewaterGrowing+74%
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 2018About 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