Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are two distinct universities with unique offerings and characteristics. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, boasts a vibrant urban campus and a diverse student body, while UAF, nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Fairbanks, Alaska, offers a more intimate and close-knit community. With acceptance rates of 73% and 84%, respectively, both universities welcome a substantial number of applicants. VCU's popular majors include Business, Engineering, and Health Professions, while UAF excels in fields such as Engineering, Natural Resources, and Education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Alaska Fairbanks	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Fairbanks, Alaska	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	68.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.7%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1110 - 1360	1070 - 1300
ACT range	17 - 27	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	1,402	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	907	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	678	4,084
Yield rate	74.8%	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: $25,548 Out of state: $39,684	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$9,379	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $5,616 Out of state: $19,200	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,150 Meal plan: $5,390	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)	90.0% Average amount $8,808	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	21.0% Average amount $5,312	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $13,596	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,844 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	982 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.1%	7.0%
International students	2.4%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,554	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alaska Washington California Oregon Florida	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Engineering	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.4%	67.6%
Dropout rate	39.6%	10.5%
Transferred out	18.1%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $75,889 Year 3: $89,097 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,843 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $79,303 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,735 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $73,558 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $62,935 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,188 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $53,812 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,355 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $44,672 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $33,666 Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: $43,923 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,119 Year 3: $34,458 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,635 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $32,564 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $27,241 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,435	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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