Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) vs Vanderbilt

Virginia Wesleyan University and Vanderbilt University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Virginia Wesleyan, a private liberal arts university in Virginia Beach, Virginia, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on undergraduate education. Vanderbilt, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, is renowned for its academic rigor and research opportunities. With acceptance rates of 68% and 10%, respectively, these universities cater to different applicant pools. While Virginia Wesleyan's popular majors include Business, Psychology, and Biology, Vanderbilt offers a wider range of programs, including Engineering, Medicine, and Law. Explore the comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Virginia Wesleyan University logo

Virginia Wesleyan University

Overview

Location Nashville, Tennessee 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 97.0% 66.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 7.1% 86.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1480 - 1570 1150 - 1380
ACT range 34 - 35 27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 25.0% 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 32.0% 4.0%
Total number of applicants 47,152 2,076
Total number of admissions given out 3,368 1,793
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,626 341
Yield rate 48.3% 19.0%
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 Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,538 $51,994
Average net price $27,553 $22,584
Tuition $54,840 $36,010
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
$10,264
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $49,730
99.0%
Average amount $27,737
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $4,979
62.0%
Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,798
13.0%
Average amount $13,485

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
1,241
Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students 6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
83
Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 89.5% N/A
International students 11.7% 1.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,598 858
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Tennessee California New York Florida Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 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 93.4% 46.8%
Dropout rate 6.4% 16.2%
Transferred out N/A 36.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754
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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