Virginia Military Institute vs Duke University

When it comes to higher education, Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Duke University stand as two distinct and esteemed institutions, each offering a unique educational experience. VMI, a public military college, boasts a long-standing tradition of academic excellence and leadership development, while Duke, a private research university, is renowned for its world-class faculty, innovative programs, and vibrant campus life. With acceptance rates of 33% and 8%, respectively, these institutions cater to different applicant pools. VMI's student body is predominantly male and military-affiliated, while Duke's is more diverse, with a significant international presence. While both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, VMI is known for its strengths in engineering, science, and social sciences, while Duke excels in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two exceptional universities and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Duke University logo

Duke University

Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Overview

Location Durham, North Carolina Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting City: Large Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.9% 63.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
$40
SAT range 1468 - 1558 1080 - 1300
ACT range 33 - 35 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 47.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 46.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 49,703 1,549
Total number of admissions given out 2,927 990
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,744 461
Yield rate 59.6% 46.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not 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 $79,860
In state: $33,182

Out of state: $61,836
Average net price $27,297 $18,100
Tuition $58,085
In state: $9,782

Out of state: $38,436
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,164

Meal plan: $6,862
Room/dormitory: $3,102

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $50,731
91.0%
Average amount $10,832
Students receiving federal student loan 20.0%
Average amount $4,537
59.0%
Average amount $3,385
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $22,957
11.0%
Average amount $22,604

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,883
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
1,652
Men 86.2% Women 13.8%
Graduate students 10,737
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 38.2%
International students 21.4% 1.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 5,718 1,751
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland North Carolina New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.9% 73.7%
Dropout rate 4.0% 4.4%
Transferred out N/A 21.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,472
  • Year 2: $213,978
  • Year 3: $201,782
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $155,031
  • Year 2: $168,098
  • Year 3: $200,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $143,622
  • Year 2: $148,189
  • Year 3: $163,560
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $163,977
  • Year 2: $138,342
  • Year 3: $159,598
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,135
  • Year 2: $106,898
  • Year 3: $134,542
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,138
  • Year 2: $116,541
  • Year 3: $124,406
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,817
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $117,262
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,699
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $112,646
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,661
  • Year 2: $91,078
  • Year 3: $108,736
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $104,348
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

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