Wright State vs. Bethel

Should I go to Wright State University Main Campus or Bethel University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wright State or Bethel 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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Wright State University Main Campus vs. Bethel University comparison
Wright State University Main Campus Bethel University College 3 College 4
Wright State University Main Campus
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Overview

Wright State Bethel
Location Dayton, OH McKenzie, TN
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 9,678 4,686
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #873 #1002
Religious Affiliation - Cumberland Presbyterian - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wright.edu bethelu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wright State Bethel
Tuition (In State) $10,814 $16,222
Tuition (Out of State) $20,232 $16,222
Room & Board $10,686 $13,446
Avg Net Price $15,650 $13,858
Avg Grant Aid $8,867 $13,396
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 96%

Admission

Wright State Bethel
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,162 2,489
Admitted 6,820 2,210
Acceptance Rate 95.2%Open 88.8%
Enrolled % 18.8%Open 20.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.6
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/24 16/22
SAT Range 913/1168 928/1130
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 23, 2025

Academics

Wright State Bethel
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Business (78%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Biology (3%)
  • Health Professions (3%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (2%)

Outcomes

Wright State Bethel
Graduation Rate 40% 32%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,400 $42,700
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 33%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $28,250
Median Loan Payment $258 $292

Diversity

Wright State Bethel
% Men 45% 46%
% Women 55% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 72% 46%
% Black 12% 40%
% Hispanic 3% 1%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 5%
% Two or More Races 4% 1%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 5%

Students

Wright State Bethel
% In-State 95% 80%
% Out-of-State 5% 19%

Campus

Wright State Bethel
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Wright State University Main Campus is larger than than Bethel based on total student enrollment (9,678 students vs. 4,686 students)

Wright State vs. Bethel Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wright State or Bethel?

  • Bethel University is 50% more expensive to attend than Wright State for in-state tuition ($16,222.00 vs. $10,814.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.7% higher at Wright State than Bethel University ($20,232.00 vs. $16,222.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bethel University than Wright State ($13,858 vs. $15,650)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wright State University Main Campus are 25.8% lower than costs at Bethel University ($10,686 vs. $13,446)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bethel University than Wright State University Main Campus (96% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bethel University students is 51.1% larger than aid received Wright State University Main Campus ($13,396 vs. $8,867)

Wright State vs. Bethel Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wright State University Main Campus (1034) is 106 points higher than at Bethel (928)
  • Incoming Wright State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Bethel (20)
  • Accepted freshman Bethel students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Wright State (3.41)
  • Wright State has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Bethel (88.8%)

Wright State vs. Bethel Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wright State 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 Wright State.

  • The graduation rate at Wright State is higher than Bethel University (40% vs. 32%)
  • Graduates from Wright State University Main Campus earn on average $700 more per year than Bethel graduates after ten years. ($43,400 vs. $42,700)
  • Wright State University Main Campus students graduate with a $3,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Bethel graduates. ($25,000 vs. $28,250)
  • Wright State graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than Bethel graduates. ($258 vs. $292)
  • More Wright State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bethel students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 33%)

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