Howard vs. VMI

Should I go to Howard University or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard or VMI 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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Howard University vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
Howard University Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
Howard University Virginia Military Institute
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Overview

 Howard VMI
Location Washington, DC Lexington, VA
Setting Large City Distant Rural
Enrollment 12,886 1,512
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard VMI
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $39,590
Room & Board $15,880 $10,674
Avg Net Price $28,279 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 69%

Admission

 Howard VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 1,192
Admitted 10,253 847
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 71.1%
Enrolled % 24.3% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 20/26 22/29
SAT Range 1050/1290 1105/1300
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 Feb 15, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Howard VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 Howard VMI
Graduation Rate 63% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $258

Diversity

 Howard VMI
% Men 29% 87%
% Women 71% 13%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 80%
% Black 91% 6%
% Hispanic 0% 5%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

 Howard VMI
% In-State 1% 63%
% Out-of-State 91% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Howard University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (12,886 students vs. 1,512 students)

Howard vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or VMI?

  • Howard University is 212.7% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($30,584.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.4% higher at VMI than Howard University ($39,590.00 vs. $30,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Howard ($18,129 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 48.8% lower than costs at Howard University ($10,674 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Virginia Military Institute (99% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 5% larger than aid received Virginia Military Institute ($20,063 vs. $19,111)

Howard vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 34 points higher than at Howard (1105)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Howard (24)
  • Accepted freshman Howard students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (71.1%) than Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard or VMI? 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 VMI and Howard.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Howard University (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $10,300 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $51,800)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 33%)

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