U of K vs Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two esteemed universities: the University of Kentucky (UK) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). While both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities, they each possess unique characteristics that may sway your decision. UK, nestled in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky, boasts a sprawling campus and a rich history dating back to 1865. VCU, on the other hand, thrives in the vibrant city of Richmond, Virginia, known for its arts and culture scene. As you embark on this side-by-side comparison, delve into the intricacies of each university, from their acceptance rates and popular majors to student body demographics and graduation rates. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, ensuring that your higher education journey is both fulfilling and transformative.

	University of Kentucky	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Lexington, Kentucky	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	86.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.0%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1083 - 1330	1070 - 1300
ACT range	22 - 29	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	70.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	21,695	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	20,396	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,721	4,084
Yield rate	23.1%	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: $31,690 Out of state: $50,688	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$20,043	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $11,247 Out of state: $30,245	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,650 Meal plan: $4,536	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)	92.0% Average amount $11,623	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $5,177	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $19,204	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	21,900 Men 43.1% Women 56.9%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	8,490 Men 37.7% Women 62.3%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	7.0%
International students	4.0%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	7,294	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Illinois Georgia Tennessee	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Public Administration and Social Service	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.2%	67.6%
Dropout rate	30.6%	10.5%
Transferred out	N/A	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $106,223 Year 2: $114,892 Year 3: $134,605 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $81,971 Year 2: $114,730 Year 3: $122,422 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $101,348 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $111,861 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $99,330 Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $102,019 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,048 Year 2: $93,555 Year 3: $98,399 Mining and Mineral Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,128 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,062 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $78,282 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,632 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,500 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,089 Year 2: $70,512 Year 3: $74,487 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,465 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $72,801	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.