UC-Cincinnati vs Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus and Virginia Commonwealth University, both vibrant and diverse institutions, offer unique experiences for students. With acceptance rates of 84% and 78%, respectively, these universities welcome a substantial number of applicants. While the University of Cincinnati-Main Campus boasts a larger student body, Virginia Commonwealth University offers a more diverse student population. Both universities excel in various academic areas, with popular majors including Business, Engineering, and Health Professions. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two esteemed institutions, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and available student services. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Cincinnati, Ohio	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	City: 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	87.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.8%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1150 - 1350	1070 - 1300
ACT range	24 - 29	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	48.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	25,775	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	21,865	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,400	4,084
Yield rate	24.7%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $30,420 Out of state: $45,754	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$20,827	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $10,920 Out of state: $26,254	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,306 Meal plan: $4,982	Room/dormitory: $6,953 Meal plan: $5,820
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	71.0% Average amount $6,980	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,293	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $14,902	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	28,968 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	11,361 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.4%	7.0%
International students	8.9%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	6,820	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Indiana Illinois Pennsylvania	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Business Visual & Performing Arts Education	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.0%	67.6%
Dropout rate	9.9%	10.5%
Transferred out	15.6%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $115,262 Year 3: $120,730 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $116,456 Year 3: $105,967 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,527 Year 2: $94,013 Year 3: $100,779 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,273 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $93,490 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,329 Year 2: $79,284 Year 3: $87,500 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,396 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $84,425 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $76,699 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,190 Year 2: $68,965 Year 3: $74,560 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,530 Year 2: $68,890 Year 3: $73,392 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,848 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $71,114	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

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