Virginia State vs Winston-Salem State University (WSSU)

Virginia State University and Winston-Salem State University, both historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), offer unique educational experiences to their students. Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia, has an acceptance rate of 68%, while Winston-Salem State University, situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has an acceptance rate of 58%. Virginia State University's student body is predominantly female (58%), while Winston-Salem State University's student body is more evenly split between male and female students (49% male, 51% female). Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Education, and Nursing. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into the key differences between these two esteemed institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more.
Virginia State University logo

Virginia State University

Winston-Salem State University logo

Winston-Salem State University

Overview

Location Petersburg, Virginia Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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 76.0% 76.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 96.1% 81.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range 830 - 1040 880 - 1040
ACT range 15 - 21 15 - 19
Students submitting SAT score 21.0% 7.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0% 35.0%
Total number of applicants 9,978 5,419
Total number of admissions given out 9,587 4,415
Admitted students who chose to enroll 920 912
Yield rate 9.6% 20.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters 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: $23,673

Out of state: $35,428
In state: $23,252

Out of state: $33,908
Average net price $16,770 $12,976
Tuition
In state: $5,540

Out of state: $16,542
In state: $3,401

Out of state: $14,057
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,744

Meal plan: $4,800
Room/dormitory: $7,568

Meal plan: $3,872
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

92.0%
Average amount $11,499
87.0%
Average amount $7,752
Students receiving federal student loan 90.0%
Average amount $7,480
78.0%
Average amount $6,071
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $3,092
3.0%
Average amount $9,995

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,899
Men 40.1% Women 59.9%
4,726
Men 23.8% Women 76.2%
Graduate students 401
Men 30.4% Women 69.6%
500
Men 19.0% Women 81.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 31.9% 16.1%
International students 0.7% 1.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 2,360 2,423
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Virginia New York Maryland District of Columbia New Jersey North Carolina South Carolina Maryland District of Columbia Virginia

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Education
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.8% 45.8%
Dropout rate 25.1% 26.8%
Transferred out 22.7% 25.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $60,198
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,564
  • Year 2: $32,382
  • Year 3: $41,446
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,514
  • Year 2: $37,424
  • Year 3: $40,545
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,671
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $39,545
Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,213
  • Year 2: $23,649
  • Year 3: $35,949
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,745
  • Year 2: $28,816
  • Year 3: $35,132
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,882
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: $34,139
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,298
  • Year 2: $25,615
  • Year 3: $30,192
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,185
  • Year 2: $24,035
  • Year 3: $29,021
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,290
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,095
  • Year 2: $88,195
  • Year 3: $101,566
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,950
  • Year 2: $73,446
  • Year 3: $77,785
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,779
  • Year 2: $62,067
  • Year 3: $64,434
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,681
  • Year 2: $59,837
  • Year 3: $62,855
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,993
  • Year 2: $47,930
  • Year 3: $54,205
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,515
  • Year 2: $31,708
  • Year 3: $36,585
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,333
  • Year 2: $32,094
  • Year 3: $35,280
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,123
  • Year 2: $30,554
  • Year 3: $34,927
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,639
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $34,903
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,801
  • Year 2: $21,850
  • Year 3: $32,247

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