Virginia Military Institute vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic rigor, tradition, and opportunity. VMI, a public military college in Lexington, Virginia, is renowned for its strong emphasis on leadership, ethics, and service, while MIT, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is celebrated for its groundbreaking contributions to science, technology, and innovation. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ significantly in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Virginia Military Institute logo

Virginia Military Institute

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts 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 99.0% 87.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.1% 63.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
$40
SAT range N/A 1080 - 1300
ACT range N/A 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 12.0%
Total number of applicants 33,240 1,549
Total number of admissions given out 1,365 990
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,177 461
Yield rate 86.2% 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 $58,920
In state: $33,182

Out of state: $61,836
Average net price $30,958 $18,100
Tuition $55,510
In state: $9,782

Out of state: $38,436
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,550

Meal plan: $6,550
Room/dormitory: $3,102

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $32,562
91.0%
Average amount $10,832
Students receiving federal student loan 6.0%
Average amount $5,112
59.0%
Average amount $3,385
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,891
11.0%
Average amount $22,604

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,638
Men 51.9% Women 48.1%
1,652
Men 86.2% Women 13.8%
Graduate students 7,296
Men 62.0% Women 38.0%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 38.2%
International students 29.2% 1.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 6,280 1,751
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas New York Florida New Jersey Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland North Carolina New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 3:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.2% 73.7%
Dropout rate 3.0% 4.4%
Transferred out N/A 21.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,716
  • Year 2: $150,045
  • Year 3: $183,153
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $170,089
  • Year 2: $165,236
  • Year 3: $182,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,191
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $163,496
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,796
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $155,540
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,685
  • Year 2: $137,214
  • Year 3: $155,079
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,229
  • Year 2: $121,226
  • Year 3: $139,548
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $141,603
  • Year 2: $126,504
  • Year 3: $132,987
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $112,885
  • Year 3: $124,425
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,266
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $112,404
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,955
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $109,672
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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