Washington Adventist University vs. Bethel

Washington Adventist University vs. Bethel University comparison

	Washington Adventist University	Bethel University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Location	Takoma Park, MD	McKenzie, TN
Setting	Large Suburban	Distant Town
Enrollment	695	2,974
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#992
Religious Affiliation	Seventh Day Adventists	Cumberland Presbyterian	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	wau.edu	bethelu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Tuition (In State)	$23,400	$16,870
Tuition (Out of State)	$23,400	$16,870
Room & Board	$10,440	$10,537
Avg Net Price	$16,732	$20,606
Avg Grant Aid	$17,861	$10,423
% Receiving Grant Aid	98%	90%

Admission	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,691	3,318
Admitted	767	3,224
Acceptance Rate	45.4%Open	97.2%
Enrolled %	13.8%Open	12.5%
Avg High School GPA	3.24	3.6
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Extremely Easy	Very Easy
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range		16/24
SAT Range	800/1100	625/1100
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 1, 2026

Academics	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Student to Faculty Ratio	7:1	17:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (45%) Business (13%) Psychology (12%) Education (11%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)	Business (78%) Education (5%) Biology (3%) Health Professions (3%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (2%)
Outcomes	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Graduation Rate	27%	32%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$47,900	$42,700
Making Student Loan Payments	39%	33%
Median Student Loan Debt	$26,039	$28,250
Median Loan Payment	$269	$292

Diversity	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
% Men	3%	3%
% Women	9%	5%
Racial Diversity	Very High	Very High
HBCU	No	No
% White	16%	46%
% Black	49%	40%
% Hispanic	11%	1%
% Native American	1%	1%
% Pacific Islander	1%	5%
% Two or More Races	1%	1%
% International	2%	1%
% Unknown Race	13%	5%

Students	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
% In-State	52%	80%
% Out-of-State	25%	19%
Campus	Washington Adventist University	Bethel
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Bethel University is larger than than Washington Adventist University based on total student enrollment (2,974 students vs. 695 students)

Washington Adventist University vs. Bethel Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Washington Adventist University or Bethel?

• Washington Adventist University is 38.7% more expensive to attend than Bethel for in-state tuition ($23,400.00 vs. $16,870.00)
• Out of state tuition is 38.7% higher at Washington Adventist University than Bethel University ($23,400.00 vs. $16,870.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Washington Adventist University than Bethel ($16,732 vs. $20,606)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Washington Adventist University are 0.9% lower than costs at Bethel University ($10,440 vs. $10,537)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Washington Adventist University than Bethel University (98% vs. 90%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Washington Adventist University students is 71.4% larger than aid received Bethel University ($17,861 vs. $10,423)

Washington Adventist University vs. Bethel Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Bethel University (928) is 107 points higher than at Washington Adventist University (821)
• Incoming Bethel students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at Washington Adventist University (18)
• Accepted freshman Bethel students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Washington Adventist University (3.24)
• Bethel has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than Washington Adventist University (45.4%)

Washington Adventist University vs. Bethel Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Washington Adventist University or Bethel? 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 Bethel and Washington Adventist University.

• The graduation rate at Bethel is higher than Washington Adventist University (32% vs. 27%)
• Graduates from Washington Adventist University earn on average $5,200 more per year than Bethel graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $42,700)
• Washington Adventist University students graduate with a $2,211 lower median federal student loan debt than Bethel graduates. ($26,039 vs. $28,250)
• Washington Adventist University graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Bethel graduates. ($269 vs. $292)
• More Washington Adventist University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bethel students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 33%)

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