Howard vs. VWC

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

 Howard VWC
Location Washington, DC Norfolk, VA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 13,416 1,711
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #249 #679
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard VWC
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $36,010
Room & Board $16,474 $11,513
Avg Net Price $30,028 $21,862
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $29,360
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Howard VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,342 2,651
Admitted 10,587 1,890
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 71.3%
Enrolled % 21.4% 19.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 22/28 28/29
SAT Range 1100/1298 1140/1350
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, 2026

Academics

 Howard VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Howard VWC
Graduation Rate 63% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

 Howard VWC
% Men 8% 2%
% Women 16% 3%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low High
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 54%
% Black 91% 24%
% Hispanic 0% 8%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 5%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 6%

Students

 Howard VWC
% In-State 1% 73%
% Out-of-State 91% 26%

Campus

 Howard 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

  • Howard University is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (13,416 students vs. 1,711 students)

Howard vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or VWC?

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is 9.5% more expensive to attend than Howard for in-state tuition ($36,010.00 vs. $32,878.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.5% higher at VWC than Howard University ($36,010.00 vs. $32,878.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Wesleyan College than Howard ($21,862 vs. $30,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 43.1% lower than costs at Howard University ($11,513 vs. $16,474)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Howard University as Virginia Wesleyan College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan College students is 37.1% larger than aid received Howard University ($29,360 vs. $21,422)

Howard vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 123 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Howard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman Howard students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at VWC (3.39)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (71.3%) than Howard (34.9%)

Howard vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Howard is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (63% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Howard University earn on average $10,100 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $41,700)
  • Virginia Wesleyan College and Howard graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Virginia Wesleyan College and Howard graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More VWC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 33%)

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