Virginia Military Institute vs Stanford

Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Stanford University stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic rigor, vibrant campus life, and diverse opportunities. VMI, a public military college in Lexington, Virginia, is renowned for its strong military heritage, small class sizes, and focus on leadership development. Stanford, a private research university in Stanford, California, is celebrated for its academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and world-class faculty. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ significantly in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations, personal preferences, and long-term goals.
Stanford University logo

Stanford University

Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Overview

Location Stanford, California Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting Suburb: Large Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 87.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 3.9% 63.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
$40
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1080 - 1300
ACT range 34 - 35 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 15.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 11.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 55,471 1,549
Total number of admissions given out 2,190 990
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,757 461
Yield rate 80.2% 46.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,898
In state: $33,182

Out of state: $61,836
Average net price $14,402 $18,100
Tuition $55,473
In state: $9,782

Out of state: $38,436
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Room/dormitory: $3,102

Meal plan: $7,260
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

61.0%
Average amount $56,211
91.0%
Average amount $10,832
Students receiving federal student loan 5.0%
Average amount $5,151
59.0%
Average amount $3,385
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,186
11.0%
Average amount $22,604

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
1,652
Men 86.2% Women 13.8%
Graduate students 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 58.5% 38.2%
International students 24.4% 1.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 14,621 1,751
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington New York Illinois Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland North Carolina New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.5% 73.7%
Dropout rate 1.7% 4.4%
Transferred out 0.6% 21.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,118
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $60,559
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,215
  • Year 2: $44,942
  • Year 3: $59,186
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,030
  • Year 2: $49,270
  • Year 3: $57,955
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,302
  • Year 2: $39,305
  • Year 3: $55,311
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,325
  • Year 2: $45,094
  • Year 3: $55,205
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,487
  • Year 2: $38,649
  • Year 3: $52,930
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,025
  • Year 2: $39,909
  • Year 3: $52,845
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,712
  • Year 2: $41,007
  • Year 3: $43,814
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,367
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,671
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: N/A

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