St. Mary's vs. VMI

Comparable Facts

Compare St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD with Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is larger than VMI based on total student enrollment (1,630 students vs. 1,527 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• St. Mary's College of Maryland is located in St. Mary's City, MD (Distant Rural setting); Virginia Military Institute is in Lexington, VA (Distant Rural setting).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Virginia Military Institute is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: St. Mary's College of Maryland 10:1; Virginia Military Institute 9:1.

St. Mary's vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or VMI? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than St. Mary's ($18,825 vs. $21,071).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 29.7% lower than at St. Mary's College of Maryland ($11,310 vs. $16,079).
• Virginia Military Institute is 37.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than St. Mary's (about $5,748 more per year; $21,046.00 vs. $15,298.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 67.8% higher at VMI than at St. Mary's College of Maryland (about $21,264 more per year; $52,638.00 vs. $31,374.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at St. Mary's College of Maryland than at Virginia Military Institute (98% vs. 81%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 109% larger than aid received by St. Mary's College of Maryland students ($23,821 vs. $11,398).

St. Mary's vs. VMI Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's or VMI? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between VMI and St. Mary's.

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at St. Mary's College of Maryland (1240) is 80 points higher than at VMI (1160).
• Incoming St. Mary's students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (28 vs. 27 at VMI).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 1143/1340; Virginia Military Institute 1050/1270.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 26/31; Virginia Military Institute 24/31.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's - Test optional; VMI - Test optional.
• Typical fall application deadline: St. Mary's Jan 15, 2027; VMI Feb 1, 2027.
• Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at St. Mary's (3.45).
• VMI has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than St. Mary's (68.6%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.3% at St. Mary's vs. 31.7% at VMI.

St. Mary's vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for St. Mary's and VMI? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• St. Mary's College of Maryland's six-year graduation rate (79%) is higher than Virginia Military Institute's (69%).
• Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn a median of about $10,600 more per year than St. Mary's graduates about ten years after starting college ($62,100 vs. $51,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, St. Mary's College of Maryland graduates have a $4,630 lower median loan debt than VMI graduates ($20,370 vs. $25,000).
• Among borrowers, St. Mary's graduates have an estimated $48 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than VMI graduates ($210 vs. $258).
• More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.