Meredith vs. VCU

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

Meredith VCU
Location Raleigh, NC Richmond, VA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 1,587 28,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #396 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website meredith.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Meredith VCU
Tuition (In State) $42,420 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $42,420 $33,726
Room & Board $12,544 $12,279
Avg Net Price $23,259 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $29,825 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Meredith VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,775 18,242
Admitted 1,299 16,600
Acceptance Rate 73.2% 91%
Enrolled % 25.6% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/28 22/30
SAT Range 1140/1320 1030/1290
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 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

Meredith VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Meredith VCU
Graduation Rate 59% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $268 $240

Diversity

Meredith VCU
% Men 2% 36%
% Women 98% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 50%
% Black 10% 18%
% Hispanic 3% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Meredith VCU
% In-State 80% 92%
% Out-of-State 13% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Meredith based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 1,587 students)

Meredith vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Meredith or VCU?

  • Meredith College is 240.5% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($42,420.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.8% higher at Meredith than Virginia Commonwealth University ($42,420.00 vs. $33,726.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Meredith ($21,294 vs. $23,259)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 2.2% lower than costs at Meredith College ($12,279 vs. $12,544)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Meredith College than Virginia Commonwealth University (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Meredith College students is 137% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($29,825 vs. $12,583)

Meredith vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 61 points higher than at Meredith (1036)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Meredith (23)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Meredith (3.52)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Meredith (73.2%)

Meredith vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Meredith or VCU? 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 VCU and Meredith.

  • The graduation rate at Meredith is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (59% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University earn on average $7,500 more per year than Meredith graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $40,000)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Meredith graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,000)
  • VCU graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Meredith graduates. ($240 vs. $268)
  • More Meredith graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 56%)

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