Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Western Michigan University, Northern Arizona University, Ohio University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Western MichiganKalamazoo, MI | Northern ArizonaFlagstaff, AZ | Ohio UniversityAthens, OH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 84.6% | 89.6% | 85.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedWestern Michigan University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | Not reportedNorthern Arizona University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1090–1290 |
| Average net price | $15,27326.8% on Pell grants | $14,15831.3% on Pell grants | $21,63721.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $15,252 in-state · $19,034 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $13,009 in-state · $29,881 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,158 in-state · $24,838 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.6% | 61.3% | 65.5% |
| First-year retention | 81.1% | 75.5% | 83.9% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 26.8% | 31.3% | 21.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $53,562 | $54,384 | $52,581 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,188 | $19,000 | $21,056 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | 19:1 | 18:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 12,568 | 22,903 | 19,633 |
| Consensus percentile | 67Lower is better | 52Lower is better | 62Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 76 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Western Michigan | Northern Arizona | Ohio University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #293 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #242 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #198 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #428 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #353 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #475 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #757 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #184 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | #410 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #441 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #439 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #593 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #426 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #296 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | #1405 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1076 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1080 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Western Michigan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Northern Arizona University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Ohio University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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