Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) vs University of Connecticut (UConn)

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique offerings and characteristics. VCU, located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, is known for its strong programs in the arts, humanities, and health sciences, while UConn, situated in Storrs, Connecticut, excels in STEM fields, agriculture, and business. With acceptance rates of 73% and 52%, respectively, both universities offer accessible pathways to higher education. While VCU boasts a diverse student body, with 43% of undergraduates identifying as racial or ethnic minorities, UConn's student population is predominantly White (73%). Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the best fit for your academic and personal aspirations.

	University of Connecticut	Virginia Commonwealth University
Overview
Location	Storrs, Connecticut	Richmond, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	84.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	55.6%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1230 - 1430	1070 - 1300
ACT range	27 - 33	20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	7.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	36,753	17,579
Total number of admissions given out	20,433	16,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,663	4,084
Yield rate	17.9%	25.0%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $37,266 Out of state: $59,934	In state: $36,861 Out of state: $58,199
Average net price	$22,168	$19,656
Tuition	In state: $15,030 Out of state: $37,698	In state: $12,094 Out of state: $32,742
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,238 Meal plan: $6,020	Room/dormitory: $6,953 Meal plan: $5,820
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $15,801	78.0% Average amount $13,623
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $5,247	44.0% Average amount $5,174
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $21,780	8.0% Average amount $17,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,567 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	21,394 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Graduate students	8,309 Men 45.1% Women 54.9%	7,200 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	35.3%	7.0%
International students	12.3%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	10,792	5,958
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut Mississippi New York New Jersey New Hampshire	Virginia Maryland North Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Education Mathematics and Statistics	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.1%	67.6%
Dropout rate	6.7%	10.5%
Transferred out	9.5%	19.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $80,915 Year 2: $95,473 Year 3: $146,595 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,306 Year 2: $106,249 Year 3: $123,588 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $85,391 Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $122,969 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $106,347 Year 2: $105,392 Year 3: $111,865 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,087 Year 2: $89,859 Year 3: $106,919 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,556 Year 2: $89,144 Year 3: $95,923 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,033 Year 2: $79,473 Year 3: $92,299 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,037 Year 2: $77,715 Year 3: $89,989 Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $78,073 Year 2: $86,621 Year 3: $88,550 Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $87,936	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $234,763 Year 3: $225,432 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $166,030 Year 2: $181,454 Year 3: $181,915 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,586 Year 2: $106,935 Year 3: $134,578 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $101,582 Year 2: $119,256 Year 3: $121,903 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,371 Year 2: $93,178 Year 3: $105,544 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,094 Year 2: $93,467 Year 3: $97,893 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,759 Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $94,244 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,726 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $90,664 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $77,993 Year 2: $89,305 Year 3: $82,470 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,920 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $82,210

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