Sweet Briar College vs. VMI

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

Sweet Briar College VMI
Location Sweet Briar, VA Lexington, VA
Setting Small Suburban Distant Rural
Enrollment 464 1,560
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sbc.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Sweet Briar College VMI
Tuition (In State) $23,730 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $23,730 $40,778
Room & Board $14,720 $10,990
Avg Net Price $25,598 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $15,880 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 81%

Admission

Sweet Briar College VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,136 1,171
Admitted 815 957
Acceptance Rate 71.7% 81.7%
Enrolled % 16.9% 49%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/27 22/28
SAT Range 1100/1310 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, 2026

Academics

Sweet Briar College VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Sweet Briar College VMI
Graduation Rate 70% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,700 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $258

Diversity

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

Students

Sweet Briar College VMI
% In-State 43% 63%
% Out-of-State 49% 35%

Campus

Sweet Briar College 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

  • Virginia Military Institute is larger than than Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (1,560 students vs. 464 students)

Sweet Briar College vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sweet Briar College or VMI?

  • Sweet Briar College is 135.5% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($23,730.00 vs. $10,076.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 71.8% higher at VMI than Sweet Briar College ($40,778.00 vs. $23,730.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Sweet Briar College ($17,229 vs. $25,598)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 33.9% lower than costs at Sweet Briar College ($10,990 vs. $14,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Virginia Military Institute (99% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sweet Briar College students is 15.6% larger than aid received Virginia Military Institute ($15,880 vs. $13,735)

Sweet Briar College vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 41 points higher than at Sweet Briar College (1098)
  • Incoming Sweet Briar College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Sweet Briar College (3.54)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than Sweet Briar College (71.7%)

Sweet Briar College vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Sweet Briar College 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 Sweet Briar College.

  • The graduation rate at Sweet Briar College is higher than Virginia Military Institute (70% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $20,400 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $41,700)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sweet Briar College students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 72%)

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