Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) vs Duke University

Virginia Wesleyan University and Duke University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Virginia Wesleyan, a private liberal arts university, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on undergraduate education, while Duke, a renowned research university, provides a comprehensive range of academic programs and world-class research opportunities. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, these universities cater to different aspirations and learning styles. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.
Duke University logo

Duke University

Virginia Wesleyan University logo

Virginia Wesleyan University

Overview

Location Durham, North Carolina Virginia Beach, Virginia
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 66.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.9% 86.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1468 - 1558 1150 - 1380
ACT range 33 - 35 27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 47.0% 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 46.0% 4.0%
Total number of applicants 49,703 2,076
Total number of admissions given out 2,927 1,793
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,744 341
Yield rate 59.6% 19.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required 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 $79,860 $51,994
Average net price $27,297 $22,584
Tuition $58,085 $36,010
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,164

Meal plan: $6,862
$10,264
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $50,731
99.0%
Average amount $27,737
Students receiving federal student loan 20.0%
Average amount $4,537
62.0%
Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $22,957
13.0%
Average amount $13,485

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,883
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
1,241
Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students 10,737
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
83
Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 21.4% 1.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,718 858
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.9% 46.8%
Dropout rate 4.0% 16.2%
Transferred out N/A 36.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,472
  • Year 2: $213,978
  • Year 3: $201,782
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $155,031
  • Year 2: $168,098
  • Year 3: $200,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $143,622
  • Year 2: $148,189
  • Year 3: $163,560
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $163,977
  • Year 2: $138,342
  • Year 3: $159,598
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,135
  • Year 2: $106,898
  • Year 3: $134,542
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,138
  • Year 2: $116,541
  • Year 3: $124,406
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,817
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $117,262
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,699
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $112,646
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,661
  • Year 2: $91,078
  • Year 3: $108,736
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $104,348
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,664
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $43,880
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,137
  • Year 2: $35,330
  • Year 3: $42,341
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: $38,256
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,903
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $35,121
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,851
  • Year 3: $33,071
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,084
  • Year 2: $26,643
  • Year 3: $30,475
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $30,197
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $19,227
  • Year 3: N/A
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: N/A
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,781
  • Year 3: N/A

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