Birmingham-Southern College vs Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU)

Birmingham-Southern College and Virginia Wesleyan University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Birmingham-Southern, nestled in the vibrant city of Birmingham, Alabama, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic aspirations. Virginia Wesleyan, located in the charming coastal town of Virginia Beach, Virginia, maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Birmingham-Southern excels in the fields of business, biology, and psychology, Virginia Wesleyan shines in the areas of business, nursing, and education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the ideal academic environment for your educational journey.

	Birmingham-Southern College	Virginia Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Birmingham, Alabama	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.9%	86.4%
Application fees	$50
SAT range	1090 - 1240	1150 - 1380
ACT range	22 - 28	27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	54.0%	4.0%
Total number of applicants	2,461	2,076
Total number of admissions given out	1,622	1,793
Admitted students who chose to enroll	244	341
Yield rate	15.0%	19.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$33,790	$51,994
Average net price	$22,888	$22,584
Tuition	$18,850	$36,010
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,900 Meal plan: $5,650	$10,264
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $10,781	99.0% Average amount $27,737
Students receiving federal student loan	79.0% Average amount $3,074	62.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,570	13.0% Average amount $13,485

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,058 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	1,241 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students	N/A	83 Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	38.4%	N/A
International students	1.5%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,418	858
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Florida Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Psychology Business Computer and Information Science Education	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.8%	46.8%
Dropout rate	4.8%	16.2%
Transferred out	24.7%	36.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,374 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $50,065 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,048 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,580 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,664 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,880 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,137 Year 2: $35,330 Year 3: $42,341 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $38,256 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,903 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $35,121 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,851 Year 3: $33,071 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,084 Year 2: $26,643 Year 3: $30,475 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $30,197 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: N/A International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,781 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Birmingham-Southern College vs Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU)

Birmingham-Southern College

Virginia Wesleyan University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About