Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass-Amherst) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, is known for its strong arts and design programs, while UMass-Amherst, situated in the vibrant town of Amherst, Massachusetts, excels in STEM fields. With acceptance rates of 73% and 68%, respectively, both universities offer accessible admission opportunities. While VCU boasts a diverse student body with 49% female and 51% male students, UMass-Amherst has a slightly larger female population at 53% compared to 47% male students. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision.

	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	91.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.5%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1250 - 1460	1070 - 1300
ACT range	28 - 33	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	42,540	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	27,877	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,872	4,084
Yield rate	17.5%	25.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	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: $32,434 Out of state: $52,959	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$17,291	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $15,791 Out of state: $36,316	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,611 Meal plan: $5,984	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)	86.0% Average amount $10,662	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $5,123	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,924	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	24,231 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	7,814 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	7.0%
International students	11.1%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	13,582	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Connecticut California New Hampshire	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.7%	67.6%
Dropout rate	5.1%	10.5%
Transferred out	10.5%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,236 Year 2: $99,741 Year 3: $118,959 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,497 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $105,578 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,216 Year 2: $78,232 Year 3: $95,030 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,683 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $94,055 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,391 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $79,970 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,906 Year 2: $67,202 Year 3: $79,007 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,222 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,636 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,607 Year 2: $68,647 Year 3: $74,913 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,719 Year 2: $65,594 Year 3: $74,578 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,571 Year 2: $63,646 Year 3: $73,746	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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