Virginia Tech vs The University of Alabama (UA)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and The University of Alabama (UA) are two esteemed public research universities with distinct characteristics. Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg, Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate (70%) compared to UA's 55%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Virginia Tech excelling in engineering, computer science, and agriculture, while UA is renowned for its business, education, and nursing programs. Virginia Tech's student body is slightly larger, with over 30,000 undergraduates, while UA has a more balanced gender ratio. In terms of graduation rates, UA holds a slight edge, with 82% of its students completing their degrees within six years, compared to Virginia Tech's 80%. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two outstanding institutions. Explore the table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal

	The University of Alabama	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Overview
Location	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Blacksburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
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	89.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.9%	56.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1070 - 1370	1210 - 1410
ACT range	21 - 31	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	35.0%
Total number of applicants	42,421	42,054
Total number of admissions given out	33,472	23,746
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,593	6,758
Yield rate	22.7%	28.5%
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: $31,024 Out of state: $50,494	In state: $30,104 Out of state: $49,787
Average net price	$21,263	$20,109
Tuition	In state: $10,780 Out of state: $30,250	In state: $11,750 Out of state: $30,829
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,234	Room/dormitory: $5,890 Meal plan: $4,736
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $16,363	58.0% Average amount $8,018
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $5,221	40.0% Average amount $5,316
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $23,617	9.0% Average amount $20,728

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	31,685 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	29,760 Men 57.3% Women 42.7%
Graduate students	6,631 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%	7,519 Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	62.2%	39.5%
International students	3.0%	9.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	9,385	9,471
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Illinois Texas Tennessee	Virginia Maryland New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education	Engineering Business Family and Consumer Sciences Computer and Information Science Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.2%	86.6%
Dropout rate	7.7%	12.3%
Transferred out	18.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $104,741 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $121,674 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,175 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,082 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,913 Year 2: $80,004 Year 3: $96,574 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,715 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $89,742 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,858 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,044 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,725 Year 2: $75,832 Year 3: $82,831 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,975 Year 2: $75,921 Year 3: $82,382 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,535 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $81,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,760 Year 2: $65,281 Year 3: $76,647 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,913 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $76,479	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,287 Year 2: $113,246 Year 3: $125,427 Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,383 Year 2: $96,691 Year 3: $106,931 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,448 Year 2: $88,678 Year 3: $96,747 Veterinary Medicine (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $76,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $93,580 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,104 Year 2: $78,488 Year 3: $90,164 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,370 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $87,658 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $81,573 Year 2: $91,211 Year 3: $84,990 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,460 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $83,712 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,805 Year 2: $73,272 Year 3: $82,738 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,610 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $81,822

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