Duke vs. VWC

Should I go to Duke University or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Duke or VWC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Duke University vs. Virginia Wesleyan College comparison
Duke University Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
Duke University Virginia Wesleyan College
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Overview

 Duke VWC
Location Durham, NC Norfolk, VA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 18,023 1,538
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #3 #631
Religious Affiliation United Methodist United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website duke.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Duke VWC
Tuition (In State) $60,435 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $60,435 $36,010
Room & Board $16,651 $11,070
Avg Net Price $23,694 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $57,444 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 100%

Admission

 Duke VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,016 1,718
Admitted 3,174 1,399
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 81.4%
Enrolled % 55% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.39
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 27/29
SAT Range 1490/1570 1190/1365
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 3, 2025

Academics

 Duke VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Human Services (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Duke VWC
Graduation Rate 94% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $108,900 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $77 $279

Diversity

 Duke VWC
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 54%
% Black 10% 24%
% Hispanic 7% 8%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 Duke VWC
% In-State 12% 73%
% Out-of-State 74% 26%

Campus

 Duke VWC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Duke University is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (18,023 students vs. 1,538 students)

Duke vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Duke or VWC?

  • Duke University is 67.8% more expensive to attend than VWC for in-state tuition ($60,435.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67.8% higher at Duke than Virginia Wesleyan College ($60,435.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Wesleyan College than Duke ($23,046 vs. $23,694)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 50.4% lower than costs at Duke University ($11,070 vs. $16,651)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than Duke University (100% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Duke University students is 108.4% larger than aid received Virginia Wesleyan College ($57,444 vs. $27,568)

Duke vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Duke or VWC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VWC or Duke .

  • The average SAT score at Duke University (1450) is 468 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Duke students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman Duke students have a 0.55 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at VWC (3.39)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (81.4%) than Duke (6.3%)

Duke vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Duke or VWC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VWC and Duke.

  • The graduation rate at Duke is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (94% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Duke University earn on average $67,200 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($108,900 vs. $41,700)
  • Duke University students graduate with a $19,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($7,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Duke graduates are paying $202 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($77 vs. $279)
  • More Duke graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 57%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/