Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs CU Anschutz

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Denver/AMC) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique offerings and characteristics. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including strong offerings in the arts, humanities, and health sciences. CU Denver/AMC, situated in the vibrant city of Aurora, Colorado, is renowned for its exceptional medical and health sciences programs, attracting students seeking careers in these fields. 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.

	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Denver, Colorado	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	72.0%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1030 - 1250	1070 - 1300
ACT range	21 - 28	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	14,428	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	10,395	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,688	4,084
Yield rate	16.2%	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	In state: $28,988 Out of state: $45,980	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$14,630	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $8,160 Out of state: $25,152	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,370 Meal plan: $4,420	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)	77.0% Average amount $7,896	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $5,521	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $11,395	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,289 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	9,978 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	16.2%	7.0%
International students	6.6%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,250	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Colorado California Texas New Mexico Illinois	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	48.0%	67.6%
Dropout rate	19.5%	10.5%
Transferred out	28.5%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $226,129 Year 2: $234,763 Year 3: $249,730 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,562 Year 2: $113,531 Year 3: $132,598 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $100,224 Year 2: $118,790 Year 3: $127,463 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $120,041 Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $121,537 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $90,407 Year 2: $90,501 Year 3: $98,484 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,482 Year 2: $89,184 Year 3: $96,904 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,510 Year 2: $83,546 Year 3: $96,592 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,154 Year 2: $88,879 Year 3: $92,077 Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,326 Year 2: $79,284 Year 3: $88,793 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,891 Year 2: $77,401 Year 3: $86,951	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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