Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs Shenandoah U

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Shenandoah University (SU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning in Virginia, each offering unique educational experiences. VCU, a public research university located in the heart of Richmond, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including highly regarded programs in the arts, engineering, and health sciences. SU, a private liberal arts university nestled in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, emphasizes experiential learning and offers a strong foundation in the liberal arts, along with specialized programs in music, health professions, and business. 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.

	Shenandoah University	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Winchester, Virginia	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.4%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	N/A	1070 - 1300
ACT range	N/A	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		29.0%
Students submitting ACT score		5.0%
Total number of applicants	2,616	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	1,945	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	509	4,084
Yield rate	26.2%	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	$49,610	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$29,077	$19,656
Tuition	$33,140	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	$11,020	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)	100.0% Average amount $19,733	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	94.0% Average amount $5,736	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $19,715	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,416 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	1,871 Men 22.3% Women 77.7%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	47.2%	7.0%
International students	1.2%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,185	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania West Virginia North Carolina	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	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	64.0%	67.6%
Dropout rate	18.4%	10.5%
Transferred out	17.5%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $111,275 Year 2: $118,737 Year 3: $125,770 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,265 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $113,374 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,402 Year 2: $100,108 Year 3: $104,182 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,531 Year 2: $77,401 Year 3: $86,370 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,152 Year 2: $76,083 Year 3: $82,110 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,690 Year 2: $62,911 Year 3: $61,865 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,799 Year 2: $65,131 Year 3: $60,303 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,356 Year 2: $53,045 Year 3: $55,231 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,313 Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $47,322 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $42,932	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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