Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs Georgia State

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Georgia State University (GSU) stand out as two prominent public research universities, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. While both institutions share similarities in their urban settings and commitment to diversity, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. VCU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. GSU, on the other hand, offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, catering to a diverse array of academic interests. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Georgia State University	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Atlanta, Georgia	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	75.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	100.0%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1050 - 1290	1070 - 1300
ACT range	19 - 27	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	22.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	12.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	19,755	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	19,753	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	6,058	4,084
Yield rate	30.7%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,142 Out of state: $43,373	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$17,958	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $7,158 Out of state: $22,389	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,450 Meal plan: $4,142	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 $9,831	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	40.0% Average amount $4,785	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $11,295	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	28,985 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	7,988 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	11.2%	7.0%
International students	6.3%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	5,414	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Florida Illinois New York Maryland	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	27:1	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	56.3%	67.6%
Dropout rate	17.5%	10.5%
Transferred out	22.3%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,955 Year 2: $91,539 Year 3: $99,948 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,917 Year 2: $92,358 Year 3: $96,658 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,268 Year 2: $95,739 Year 3: $94,943 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,098 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $91,483 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,941 Year 3: $82,637 Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,661 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $80,235 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,102 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $79,843 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $65,982 Year 2: $67,965 Year 3: $77,854 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $77,401 Year 3: $77,089 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,954 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $71,816	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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