University at Buffalo (UB) vs Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

In the pursuit of higher education, prospective students often find themselves torn between multiple universities that align with their academic aspirations. To aid in this decision-making process, we present a comprehensive comparison of two esteemed institutions: University at Buffalo (UB) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they possess distinct characteristics that cater to diverse student needs. UB, situated in the vibrant city of Buffalo, New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. VCU, on the other hand, is located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, and offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like nursing and social work. Explore our detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which university best aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	University at Buffalo	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Buffalo, New York	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.1%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1180 - 1360	1070 - 1300
ACT range	25 - 31	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	30,750	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	21,552	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,309	4,084
Yield rate	20.0%	25.0%
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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $30,240 Out of state: $48,160	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$17,954	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $24,990	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,952 Meal plan: $6,500	Room/dormitory: $6,953 Meal plan: $5,820
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	71.0% Average amount $8,810	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,071	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $13,892	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	21,467 Men 54.3% Women 45.7%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	10,865 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	3.2%	7.0%
International students	18.3%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	7,711	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Connecticut Florida	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science Education Social Sciences	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.8%	67.6%
Dropout rate	8.7%	10.5%
Transferred out	16.4%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $140,469 Year 2: $159,761 Year 3: $146,042 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $70,533 Year 2: $67,772 Year 3: $132,503 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $95,335 Year 2: $104,510 Year 3: $123,979 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,109 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $82,514 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,415 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $78,884 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,859 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $76,613 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,249 Year 2: $61,078 Year 3: $75,877 Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,773 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $75,097 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,581 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,704 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,797 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $72,822	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $234,763 Year 3: $225,432 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $166,030 Year 2: $181,454 Year 3: $181,915 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,586 Year 2: $106,935 Year 3: $134,578 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $101,582 Year 2: $119,256 Year 3: $121,903 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,371 Year 2: $93,178 Year 3: $105,544 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,094 Year 2: $93,467 Year 3: $97,893 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,759 Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $94,244 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,726 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $90,664 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $77,993 Year 2: $89,305 Year 3: $82,470 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,920 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $82,210

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.