Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) vs Harvard

Virginia Wesleyan University and Harvard University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of size, selectivity, and academic offerings. With an acceptance rate of 70%, Virginia Wesleyan welcomes a diverse student body of around 1,500 undergraduates, fostering a close-knit community where personalized attention is a priority. In contrast, Harvard, with its acceptance rate of 5%, enrolls over 6,000 undergraduates, providing access to world-renowned faculty, cutting-edge research opportunities, and an extensive range of academic programs. While both universities offer a strong liberal arts foundation, Virginia Wesleyan emphasizes experiential learning through internships and undergraduate research, while Harvard is known for its rigorous coursework and emphasis on graduate studies. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harvard University	Virginia Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	96.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.0%	86.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $105
SAT range	1480 - 1580	1150 - 1380
ACT range	33 - 36	27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	54.0%	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	4.0%
Total number of applicants	57,786	2,076
Total number of admissions given out	2,318	1,793
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,951	341
Yield rate	84.2%	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	$78,028	$51,994
Average net price	$13,910	$22,584
Tuition	$51,143	$36,010
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,705 Meal plan: $7,236	$10,264
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $59,840	99.0% Average amount $27,737
Students receiving federal student loan	3.0% Average amount $5,180	62.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,080	13.0% Average amount $13,485

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,579 Men 49.0% Women 51.0%	1,241 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students	21,766 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	83 Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	23.9%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	12,874	858
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Social Sciences Education Legal Profession	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.7%	46.8%
Dropout rate	2.0%	16.2%
Transferred out	N/A	36.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,193 Year 2: $128,716 Year 3: $240,408 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $184,307 Year 2: $165,340 Year 3: $199,043 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $171,333 Year 2: $171,907 Year 3: $187,553 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $140,072 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: $163,896 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $151,371 Year 2: $174,023 Year 3: $163,512 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,508 Year 2: $117,916 Year 3: $129,281 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,832 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,707 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $121,771 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,905 Year 2: $98,670 Year 3: $107,389 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,745 Year 2: $71,486 Year 3: $106,375	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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