RU vs. VMI

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

RU VMI
Location Radford, VA Lexington, VA
Setting Distant Town Distant Rural
Enrollment 7,531 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #449 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website radford.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RU VMI
Tuition (In State) $8,401 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $20,853 $40,778
Room & Board $11,973 $10,990
Avg Net Price $18,282 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $8,968 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 81%

Admission

RU VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,072 1,171
Admitted 10,036 957
Acceptance Rate 90.6% 81.7%
Enrolled % 11% 49%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 22/28
SAT Range 950/1170 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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

RU VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

RU VMI
Graduation Rate 56% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,400 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $237 $258

Diversity

RU VMI
% Men 5% 61%
% Women 19% 9%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 80%
% Black 13% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

RU VMI
% In-State 88% 63%
% Out-of-State 11% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Radford University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (7,531 students vs. 1,560 students)

RU vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RU or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is 19.9% more expensive to attend than RU for in-state tuition ($10,076.00 vs. $8,401.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 95.5% higher at VMI than Radford University ($40,778.00 vs. $20,853.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than RU ($17,229 vs. $18,282)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 8.9% lower than costs at Radford University ($10,990 vs. $11,973)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Radford University than Virginia Military Institute (99% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 53.2% larger than aid received Radford University ($13,735 vs. $8,968)

RU vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at RU (3.31)
  • RU has a higher acceptance rate (90.6%) than VMI (81.7%)

RU vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RU 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 RU.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Radford University (69% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $14,700 more per year than RU graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $47,400)
  • Radford University students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($23,000 vs. $25,000)
  • RU graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($237 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RU students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 70%)

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