American University vs University of Virginia-Main Campus (UVA)

American University and University of Virginia-Main Campus, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. American University, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on public affairs and international studies. In contrast, University of Virginia-Main Campus, nestled in the historic town of Charlottesville, Virginia, is known for its rigorous academic programs and strong research opportunities. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	American University	University of Virginia-Main Campus
Overview
Location	Washington, District of Columbia	Charlottesville, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	90.0%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.1%	20.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $61	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85
SAT range	1280 - 1440	1380 - 1500
ACT range	29 - 33	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	52.0%
Students submitting ACT score	18.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	19,650	47,971
Total number of admissions given out	12,594	9,951
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,372	3,889
Yield rate	18.8%	39.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$70,512	In state: $36,314 Out of state: $70,696
Average net price	$28,622	$20,401
Tuition	$52,542	In state: $16,010 Out of state: $49,710
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,096 Meal plan: $6,314	Room/dormitory: $7,110 Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	64.0% Average amount $27,332	46.0% Average amount $19,612
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $4,933	25.0% Average amount $4,845
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $25,877	6.0% Average amount $11,030

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,463 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	17,294 Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students	6,389 Men 37.1% Women 62.9%	8,711 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	35.2%
International students	10.6%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,080	7,645
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia New York Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Legal Profession Social Sciences Public Administration and Social Service Education	Business Health Professions Engineering Social Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	78.7%	93.7%
Dropout rate	20.9%	2.3%
Transferred out	N/A	3.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,187 Year 2: $97,907 Year 3: $111,993 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,205 Year 2: $99,458 Year 3: $107,216 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,457 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $93,099 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,734 Year 2: $74,953 Year 3: $85,544 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,308 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $80,276 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $60,267 Year 2: $63,203 Year 3: $78,002 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,356 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,697 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,014 Year 3: $76,448 International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,460 Year 2: $63,692 Year 3: $73,342 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,600 Year 3: $72,861	Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $185,710 Year 2: $162,255 Year 3: $193,013 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $157,071 Year 2: $155,263 Year 3: $176,237 Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,350 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $125,729 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,426 Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $120,362 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,239 Year 2: $95,739 Year 3: $109,956 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,639 Year 2: $92,077 Year 3: $108,272 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,682 Year 2: $90,146 Year 3: $101,904 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,602 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $95,939 Systems Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,487 Year 2: $82,808 Year 3: $94,931 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,807 Year 2: $70,596 Year 3: $84,597

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