Calvin University vs Virginia Military Institute

Calvin University and Virginia Military Institute, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Calvin, a private Christian liberal arts college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a student body that is predominantly White (78%) and female (58%). On the other hand, Virginia Military Institute, a public military college in Lexington, Virginia, has a more selective admissions process with a 38% acceptance rate and a student body that is predominantly male (86%) and White (70%). While both institutions offer a range of undergraduate programs, Calvin is known for its strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, while VMI is renowned for its engineering, mathematics, and computer science programs. With varying graduation rates of 82% for Calvin and 73% for VMI, prospective students are encouraged to explore the detailed comparison table to discover which institution better aligns with their academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Calvin University logo

Calvin University

Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Overview

Location Grand Rapids, Michigan Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting City: Midsize Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 86.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 75.1% 63.9%
Application fees $35 $40
SAT range 1120 - 1340 1080 - 1300
ACT range 24 - 30 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 61.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 24.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 3,986 1,549
Total number of admissions given out 2,992 990
Admitted students who chose to enroll 736 461
Yield rate 24.6% 46.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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 $52,840
In state: $33,182

Out of state: $61,836
Average net price $27,120 $18,100
Tuition $37,990
In state: $9,782

Out of state: $38,436
Room & board $10,800
Room/dormitory: $3,102

Meal plan: $7,260
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $24,410
91.0%
Average amount $10,832
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $4,987
59.0%
Average amount $3,385
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $16,620
11.0%
Average amount $22,604

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,068
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
1,652
Men 86.2% Women 13.8%
Graduate students 189
Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 38.2%
International students 11.7% 1.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 2,453 1,751
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland North Carolina New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Theology
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 77.3% 73.7%
Dropout rate 7.6% 4.4%
Transferred out 14.7% 21.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,594
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $73,154
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,088
  • Year 2: $65,188
  • Year 3: $71,772
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,940
  • Year 2: $57,564
  • Year 3: $62,400
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,498
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $60,645
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,593
  • Year 2: $45,980
  • Year 3: $53,866
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,275
  • Year 2: $60,878
  • Year 3: $51,938
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,034
  • Year 2: $32,382
  • Year 3: $44,640
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,528
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $39,008
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,756
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $37,976
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,469
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $36,953
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,118
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $60,559
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,215
  • Year 2: $44,942
  • Year 3: $59,186
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,030
  • Year 2: $49,270
  • Year 3: $57,955
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,302
  • Year 2: $39,305
  • Year 3: $55,311
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,325
  • Year 2: $45,094
  • Year 3: $55,205
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,487
  • Year 2: $38,649
  • Year 3: $52,930
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,025
  • Year 2: $39,909
  • Year 3: $52,845
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,712
  • Year 2: $41,007
  • Year 3: $43,814
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,367
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,671
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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