Purchase College vs. VWC

Should I go to SUNY at Purchase College or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Purchase College or VWC 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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SUNY at Purchase College vs. Virginia Wesleyan College comparison
SUNY at Purchase College Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
SUNY at Purchase College Virginia Wesleyan College
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Overview

Purchase College VWC
Location Purchase, NY Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 3,182 1,538
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #319 #631
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Purchase College VWC
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $36,010
Room & Board $14,948 $11,070
Avg Net Price $19,434 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $10,312 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 100%

Admission

Purchase College VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,747 1,718
Admitted 4,292 1,399
Acceptance Rate 74.7% 81.4%
Enrolled % 16% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 29/31 27/29
SAT Range 1190/1350 1190/1365
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 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

Purchase College VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Purchase College VWC
Graduation Rate 56% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $232 $279

Diversity

Purchase College VWC
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 54%
% Black 10% 24%
% Hispanic 18% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 6%

Students

Purchase College VWC
% In-State 85% 73%
% Out-of-State 14% 26%

Campus

Purchase College VWC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY at Purchase College is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (3,182 students vs. 1,538 students)

Purchase College vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or VWC?

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is 409.3% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($36,010.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 112.1% higher at VWC than SUNY at Purchase College ($36,010.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than VWC ($19,434 vs. $23,046)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 35% lower than costs at SUNY at Purchase College ($11,070 vs. $14,948)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than SUNY at Purchase College (100% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan College students is 167.3% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($27,568 vs. $10,312)

Purchase College vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY at Purchase College (1082) is 100 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Purchase College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman VWC students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (81.4%) than Purchase College (74.7%)

Purchase College vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College or VWC? 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 VWC and Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Purchase College is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (56% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Wesleyan College earn on average $1,500 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($41,700 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($22,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($232 vs. $279)
  • More Purchase College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 57%)

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