NSU vs. VMI

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

NSU VMI
Location Norfolk, VA Lexington, VA
Setting Midsize City Distant Rural
Enrollment 6,045 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #999 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nsu.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

NSU VMI
Tuition (In State) $5,926 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $17,428 $40,778
Room & Board $11,692 $10,990
Avg Net Price $12,272 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $11,153 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 81%

Admission

NSU VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,211 1,171
Admitted 8,931 957
Acceptance Rate 87.5% 81.7%
Enrolled % 16.8% 49%
Avg High School GPA 2.9 3.65
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 22/28
SAT Range 840/1100 1040/1260
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 May 31, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

NSU VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

NSU VMI
Graduation Rate 33% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 27% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $31,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $320 $258

Diversity

NSU VMI
% Men 3% 61%
% Women 5% 9%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 5% 80%
% Black 84% 6%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

NSU VMI
% In-State 65% 63%
% Out-of-State 31% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Norfolk State University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (6,045 students vs. 1,560 students)

NSU vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NSU or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is 70% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($10,076.00 vs. $5,926.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 134% higher at VMI than Norfolk State University ($40,778.00 vs. $17,428.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Norfolk State University than VMI ($12,272 vs. $17,229)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 6.4% lower than costs at Norfolk State University ($10,990 vs. $11,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Norfolk State University than Virginia Military Institute (97% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 23.2% larger than aid received Norfolk State University ($13,735 vs. $11,153)

NSU vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 331 points higher than at NSU (808)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at NSU (17)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.75 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at NSU (2.9)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (87.5%) than VMI (81.7%)

NSU vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NSU 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 NSU.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Norfolk State University (69% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $25,400 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $36,700)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than NSU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $31,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than NSU graduates. ($258 vs. $320)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 27%)

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