TCNJ vs. VWC

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ 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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The College of New Jersey vs. Virginia Wesleyan College comparison
The College of New Jersey Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey Virginia Wesleyan College
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Overview

TCNJ VWC
Location Ewing, NJ Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 7,652 1,711
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #164 #679
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

TCNJ VWC
Tuition (In State) $14,706 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $20,589 $36,010
Room & Board $15,569 $11,513
Avg Net Price $22,379 $21,862
Avg Grant Aid $13,824 $29,360
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 100%

Admission

TCNJ VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,668 2,651
Admitted 7,251 1,890
Acceptance Rate 62.1% 71.3%
Enrolled % 21.3% 19.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.39
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/31 28/29
SAT Range 1140/1340 1140/1350
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

TCNJ VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

TCNJ VWC
Graduation Rate 87% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $240 $279

Diversity

TCNJ VWC
% Men 2% 2%
% Women 6% 3%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 54%
% Black 6% 24%
% Hispanic 12% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 5%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 6%

Students

TCNJ VWC
% In-State 95% 73%
% Out-of-State 5% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (7,652 students vs. 1,711 students)

TCNJ vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or VWC?

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is 144.9% more expensive to attend than TCNJ for in-state tuition ($36,010.00 vs. $14,706.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 74.9% higher at VWC than The College of New Jersey ($36,010.00 vs. $20,589.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Wesleyan College than TCNJ ($21,862 vs. $22,379)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 35.2% lower than costs at The College of New Jersey ($11,513 vs. $15,569)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than The College of New Jersey (100% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan College students is 112.4% larger than aid received The College of New Jersey ($29,360 vs. $13,824)

TCNJ vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 245 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman VWC students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (71.3%) than TCNJ (62.1%)

TCNJ vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ 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 TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (87% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $20,400 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $41,700)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • TCNJ graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($240 vs. $279)
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 57%)

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