CU-Boulder vs Virginia Tech

Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, located in the vibrant town of Blacksburg, Virginia, stand as two prominent beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and offer a diverse range of programs, they also possess unique characteristics that set them apart. From their contrasting acceptance rates and popular majors to their distinct student body demographics and graduation outcomes, these universities present prospective students with a choice that hinges on their individual aspirations and preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into the nuances that define each institution and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	University of Colorado Boulder	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Overview
Location	Boulder, Colorado	Blacksburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
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%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.6%	56.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1170 - 1390	1210 - 1410
ACT range	25 - 31	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	35.0%
Total number of applicants	54,756	42,054
Total number of admissions given out	43,576	23,746
Admitted students who chose to enroll	6,785	6,758
Yield rate	15.6%	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	In state: $29,725 Out of state: $55,543	In state: $30,104 Out of state: $49,787
Average net price	$22,532	$20,109
Tuition	In state: $10,728 Out of state: $36,546	In state: $11,750 Out of state: $30,829
Room & board	$15,220	Room/dormitory: $5,890 Meal plan: $4,736
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	53.0% Average amount $9,214	58.0% Average amount $8,018
Students receiving federal student loan	27.0% Average amount $4,986	40.0% Average amount $5,316
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $24,094	9.0% Average amount $20,728

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	30,886 Men 54.8% Women 45.2%	29,760 Men 57.3% Women 42.7%
Graduate students	8,114 Men 57.8% Women 42.2%	7,519 Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	48.8%	39.5%
International students	7.1%	9.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	7,500	9,471
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Colorado California Texas Illinois New York	Virginia Maryland New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Communication and Journalism Visual & Performing Arts Legal Profession	Engineering Business Family and Consumer Sciences Computer and Information Science Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	74.0%	86.6%
Dropout rate	8.6%	12.3%
Transferred out	15.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,752 Year 2: $116,679 Year 3: $121,033 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $118,373 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,907 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $108,458 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,254 Year 2: $89,641 Year 3: $97,860 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,200 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $92,272 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,191 Year 2: $80,503 Year 3: $87,258 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,023 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $86,676 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,804 Year 2: $75,921 Year 3: $85,563 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,633 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $85,039 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,440 Year 2: $71,957 Year 3: $83,132	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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