Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) are two distinct universities offering diverse educational experiences. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, boasts a vibrant urban campus and a strong focus on research and healthcare. IUPUI, situated in the dynamic city of Indianapolis, Indiana, is known for its interdisciplinary programs and its commitment to community engagement. While both universities share similarities in their academic offerings and student life, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Indianapolis, Indiana	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	69.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.6%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1040 - 1230	1070 - 1300
ACT range	21 - 28	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	15,194	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	12,704	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,496	4,084
Yield rate	27.5%	25.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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: $25,758 Out of state: $47,815	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$11,550	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $8,883 Out of state: $30,940	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	$10,588	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)	82.0% Average amount $10,926	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,615	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $10,565	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,197 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	8,493 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	7.3%	7.0%
International students	5.5%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,410	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Wisconsin	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Legal Profession	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.6%	67.6%
Dropout rate	20.0%	10.5%
Transferred out	20.9%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $201,325 Year 2: $223,678 Year 3: $212,436 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $130,179 Year 2: $128,985 Year 3: $142,073 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,840 Year 2: $110,432 Year 3: $111,516 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,156 Year 2: $103,335 Year 3: $108,015 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,482 Year 2: $98,638 Year 3: $102,422 Public Administration (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $87,191 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $85,119 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,727 Year 3: $82,259 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,379 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $78,049 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,196 Year 2: $66,461 Year 3: $77,779 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,146 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $75,557	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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