Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs Iowa State

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Iowa State University (ISU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique offerings and characteristics. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, is known for its urban campus, diverse student body, and strong programs in the arts, humanities, and health sciences. ISU, situated in the vibrant city of Ames, Iowa, is renowned for its focus on agriculture, engineering, and technology, along with a rich tradition in athletics and research. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Iowa State University	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	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	88.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1083 - 1330	1070 - 1300
ACT range	21 - 28	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	20,357	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	4,084
Yield rate	29.0%	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: $22,152 Out of state: $37,964	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$15,422	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	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)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	7.0%
International students	8.2%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	9,400	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	67.6%
Dropout rate	6.1%	10.5%
Transferred out	16.7%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,739 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,292 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,956 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $95,081 Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,120 Year 2: $89,059 Year 3: $92,521 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,573 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $85,108 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,299 Year 2: $73,321 Year 3: $83,452 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,598 Year 2: $73,839 Year 3: $83,292 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,184 Year 2: $71,734 Year 3: $81,196 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,223 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,916 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,580 Year 2: $70,083 Year 3: $77,479 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,534 Year 2: $67,156 Year 3: $76,113	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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