IU East vs. WMU

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

IU East WMU
Location Richmond, IN Kalamazoo, MI
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 3,039 17,000
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #855 #634
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iue.edu wmich.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

IU East WMU
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $14,523
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $18,154
Room & Board $9,412 $11,102
Avg Net Price $8,837 $20,030
Avg Grant Aid $7,874 $6,813
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 93%

Admission

IU East WMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,586 20,501
Admitted 1,230 17,334
Acceptance Rate 77.6% 84.6%
Enrolled % 28.4% 15.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/26 19/27
SAT Range 960/1200 990/1220
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 18, 2025

Academics

IU East WMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Human Services (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Engineering (6%)

Outcomes

IU East WMU
Graduation Rate 19% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,900 $48,900
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $26,633
Median Loan Payment $211 $275

Diversity

IU East WMU
% Men 35% 47%
% Women 65% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 87% 72%
% Black 4% 12%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

IU East WMU
% In-State 74% 79%
% Out-of-State 25% 19%

Campus

IU East WMU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Michigan University is larger than than IU East based on total student enrollment (17,000 students vs. 3,039 students)

IU East vs. WMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU East or WMU?

  • Western Michigan University is 99.7% more expensive to attend than IU East for in-state tuition ($14,523.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.7% higher at IU East than Western Michigan University ($20,634.00 vs. $18,154.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University East than WMU ($8,837 vs. $20,030)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University East are 18% lower than costs at Western Michigan University ($9,412 vs. $11,102)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University East as Western Michigan University (93% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Indiana University East students is 15.6% larger than aid received Western Michigan University ($7,874 vs. $6,813)

IU East vs. WMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Michigan University (1030) is 69 points higher than at IU East (961)
  • Incoming WMU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at IU East (21)
  • Accepted freshman WMU students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at IU East (3.41)
  • WMU has a higher acceptance rate (84.6%) than IU East (77.6%)

IU East vs. WMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU East 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 IU East.

  • The graduation rate at WMU is higher than Indiana University East (56% vs. 19%)
  • Graduates from Western Michigan University earn on average $16,000 more per year than IU East graduates after ten years. ($48,900 vs. $32,900)
  • Indiana University East students graduate with a $6,133 lower median federal student loan debt than WMU graduates. ($20,500 vs. $26,633)
  • IU East graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than WMU graduates. ($211 vs. $275)
  • More WMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU East students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 40%)

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