Bucknell University vs Virginia Military Institute

Bucknell University and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. Bucknell, a private liberal arts university in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, boasts a 29% acceptance rate and is renowned for its strong programs in the humanities, social sciences, and engineering. VMI, a public military college in Lexington, Virginia, has a 68% acceptance rate and is known for its rigorous academic curriculum, leadership development, and strong ROTC program. While both institutions offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, Bucknell's most popular majors include business, engineering, and psychology, while VMI's popular majors include civil engineering, business, and mechanical engineering. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two esteemed institutions and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Bucknell University logo

Bucknell University

Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Overview

Location Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 34.5% 63.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $50
$40
SAT range 1295 - 1450 1080 - 1300
ACT range 29 - 33 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 17.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 11,263 1,549
Total number of admissions given out 3,886 990
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,027 461
Yield rate 26.4% 46.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $77,740
In state: $33,182

Out of state: $61,836
Average net price $38,170 $18,100
Tuition $59,474
In state: $9,782

Out of state: $38,436
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,192

Meal plan: $5,682
Room/dormitory: $3,102

Meal plan: $7,260
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

59.0%
Average amount $37,752
91.0%
Average amount $10,832
Students receiving federal student loan 32.0%
Average amount $5,232
59.0%
Average amount $3,385
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $23,169
11.0%
Average amount $22,604

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,724
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
1,652
Men 86.2% Women 13.8%
Graduate students 33
Men 30.3% Women 69.7%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 76.9% 38.2%
International students 5.3% 1.7%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 3,394 1,751
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Connecticut Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland North Carolina New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 88.0% 73.7%
Dropout rate 0.6% 4.4%
Transferred out 11.3% 21.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,290
  • Year 2: $66,147
  • Year 3: $82,360
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,437
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $80,333
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,748
  • Year 2: $69,002
  • Year 3: $76,198
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,343
  • Year 2: $49,683
  • Year 3: $69,149
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,231
  • Year 2: $65,610
  • Year 3: $68,732
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $51,607
  • Year 3: $66,842
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,041
  • Year 2: $55,102
  • Year 3: $63,698
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,358
  • Year 2: $49,136
  • Year 3: $60,608
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,507
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $57,352
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,905
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $55,173
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,118
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $60,559
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,215
  • Year 2: $44,942
  • Year 3: $59,186
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,030
  • Year 2: $49,270
  • Year 3: $57,955
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,302
  • Year 2: $39,305
  • Year 3: $55,311
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,325
  • Year 2: $45,094
  • Year 3: $55,205
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,487
  • Year 2: $38,649
  • Year 3: $52,930
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,025
  • Year 2: $39,909
  • Year 3: $52,845
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,712
  • Year 2: $41,007
  • Year 3: $43,814
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,367
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,671
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: N/A

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