St. Mary's vs. VCU

Should I go to St Mary's College of Maryland or Virginia Commonwealth University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's 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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St Mary's College of Maryland vs. Virginia Commonwealth University comparison
St Mary's College of Maryland Virginia Commonwealth University College 3 College 4
St Mary's College of Maryland Virginia Commonwealth University
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Overview

 St. Mary's VCU
Location St. Mary's City, MD Richmond, VA
Setting Distant Rural Midsize City
Enrollment 1,520 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's VCU
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $33,726
Room & Board $14,146 $12,279
Avg Net Price $20,714 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 83%

Admission

 St. Mary's VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 18,242
Admitted 2,268 16,600
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 91%
Enrolled % 18.1% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/30 22/30
SAT Range 1130/1370 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 Jan 15, 2025 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 St. Mary's VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's VCU
Graduation Rate 79% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $210 $240

Diversity

 St. Mary's VCU
% Men 41% 36%
% Women 59% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 50%
% Black 8% 18%
% Hispanic 8% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 St. Mary's VCU
% In-State 87% 92%
% Out-of-State 12% 6%

Campus

 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 2.8% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($12,458.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.6% higher at VCU than St Mary's College of Maryland ($33,726.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than VCU ($20,714 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 15.2% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,279 vs. $14,146)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Virginia Commonwealth University (94% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 22.6% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,583 vs. $10,265)

St. Mary's vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 48 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than St. Mary's (77.3%)

St. Mary's vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (79% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from St Mary's College of Maryland earn on average $4,000 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($51,500 vs. $47,500)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $2,880 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($20,370 vs. $23,250)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($210 vs. $240)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 56%)

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