Randolph College vs Virginia Tech

Randolph College and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) are two distinct institutions of higher learning in Virginia, each offering unique educational experiences. Randolph College, a private liberal arts college, stands out with its small class sizes, personalized attention, and strong focus on undergraduate research. In contrast, Virginia Tech, a public research university, boasts a large and diverse student body, a wide range of academic programs, and a vibrant campus life. While both institutions offer excellent education, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Randolph College	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Overview
Location	Lynchburg, Virginia	Blacksburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.8%	56.5%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	910 - 1140	1210 - 1410
ACT range	22 - 27	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	25.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	35.0%
Total number of applicants	1,161	42,054
Total number of admissions given out	1,089	23,746
Admitted students who chose to enroll	138	6,758
Yield rate	12.7%	28.5%
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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,252	In state: $30,104 Out of state: $49,787
Average net price	$23,166	$20,109
Tuition	$26,250	In state: $11,750 Out of state: $30,829
Room & board	$11,000	Room/dormitory: $5,890 Meal plan: $4,736
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $17,806	58.0% Average amount $8,018
Students receiving federal student loan	87.0% Average amount $5,577	40.0% Average amount $5,316
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $7,959	9.0% Average amount $20,728

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	482 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%	29,760 Men 57.3% Women 42.7%
Graduate students	68 Men 23.5% Women 76.5%	7,519 Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	39.5%
International students	4.2%	9.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	621	9,471
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia Maryland New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies English Language and Literature Communication and Journalism Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences	Engineering Business Family and Consumer Sciences Computer and Information Science Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.0%	86.6%
Dropout rate	14.7%	12.3%
Transferred out	29.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,121 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,646 Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,287 Year 2: $113,246 Year 3: $125,427 Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,383 Year 2: $96,691 Year 3: $106,931 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,448 Year 2: $88,678 Year 3: $96,747 Veterinary Medicine (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $76,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $93,580 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,104 Year 2: $78,488 Year 3: $90,164 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,370 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $87,658 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $81,573 Year 2: $91,211 Year 3: $84,990 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,460 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $83,712 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,805 Year 2: $73,272 Year 3: $82,738 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,610 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $81,822

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