Dominican vs. Western Illinois University

Should I go to Dominican University or Western Illinois University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dominican or Western Illinois University 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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Dominican University vs. Western Illinois University comparison
Dominican University Western Illinois University College 3 College 4
Dominican University Western Illinois University
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Overview

Dominican Western Illinois University
Location River Forest, IL Macomb, IL
Setting Large Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 3,196 7,643
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #551 #579
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dom.edu wiu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dominican Western Illinois University
Tuition (In State) $35,850 $9,515
Tuition (Out of State) $35,850 $9,515
Room & Board $11,050 $10,500
Avg Net Price $18,162 $11,213
Avg Grant Aid $25,315 $15,632
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 94%

Admission

Dominican Western Illinois University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,117 9,219
Admitted 4,581 6,914
Acceptance Rate 89.5% 75%
Enrolled % 13.1% 15.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 3.45
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 18/24
SAT Range 890/1140 880/1090
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 31, 2025

Academics

Dominican Western Illinois University
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

Dominican Western Illinois University
Graduation Rate 63% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $46,000
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $24,704
Median Loan Payment $258 $255

Diversity

Dominican Western Illinois University
% Men 26% 43%
% Women 74% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 38% 62%
% Black 7% 19%
% Hispanic 48% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Dominican Western Illinois University
% In-State 90% 89%
% Out-of-State 9% 10%

Campus

Dominican Western Illinois University
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Illinois University is larger than than Dominican based on total student enrollment (7,643 students vs. 3,196 students)

Dominican vs. Western Illinois University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dominican or Western Illinois University?

  • Dominican University is 276.8% more expensive to attend than Western Illinois University for in-state tuition ($35,850.00 vs. $9,515.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 276.8% higher at Dominican than Western Illinois University ($35,850.00 vs. $9,515.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Illinois University than Dominican ($11,213 vs. $18,162)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Illinois University are 5.2% lower than costs at Dominican University ($10,500 vs. $11,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dominican University than Western Illinois University (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dominican University students is 61.9% larger than aid received Western Illinois University ($25,315 vs. $15,632)

Dominican vs. Western Illinois University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dominican University (1010) is 40 points higher than at Western Illinois University (970)
  • Incoming Dominican students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Western Illinois University (21)
  • Accepted freshman Dominican students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at Western Illinois University (3.45)
  • Dominican has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Western Illinois University (75%)

Dominican vs. Western Illinois University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dominican or Western Illinois University? 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 Western Illinois University and Dominican.

  • The graduation rate at Dominican is higher than Western Illinois University (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Dominican University earn on average $2,000 more per year than Western Illinois University graduates after ten years. ($48,000 vs. $46,000)
  • Western Illinois University students graduate with a $296 lower median federal student loan debt than Dominican graduates. ($24,704 vs. $25,000)
  • Western Illinois University graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Dominican graduates. ($255 vs. $258)
  • More Dominican graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Western Illinois University students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 61%)

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