Tennessee vs. VMI

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

Tennessee VMI
Location Knoxville, TN Lexington, VA
Setting Midsize City Distant Rural
Enrollment 33,805 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #232 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tennessee.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Tennessee VMI
Tuition (In State) $11,332 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $29,522 $39,590
Room & Board $12,150 $10,674
Avg Net Price $21,880 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $10,593 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 69%

Admission

Tennessee VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 36,290 1,192
Admitted 24,826 847
Acceptance Rate 68.4% 71.1%
Enrolled % 27.6% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/31 22/29
SAT Range 1170/1330 1105/1300
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Tennessee VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Tennessee VMI
Graduation Rate 63% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,300 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $258

Diversity

Tennessee VMI
% Men 45% 87%
% Women 55% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 80%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Tennessee VMI
% In-State 54% 63%
% Out-of-State 45% 35%

Campus

Tennessee 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

  • The University of Tennessee is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (33,805 students vs. 1,512 students)

Tennessee vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Tennessee or VMI?

  • The University of Tennessee is 15.8% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($11,332.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.1% higher at VMI than The University of Tennessee ($39,590.00 vs. $29,522.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Tennessee ($18,129 vs. $21,880)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 13.8% lower than costs at The University of Tennessee ($10,674 vs. $12,150)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee than Virginia Military Institute (88% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 80.4% larger than aid received The University of Tennessee ($19,111 vs. $10,593)

Tennessee vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Tennessee (1214) is 75 points higher than at VMI (1139)
  • Incoming Tennessee students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman Tennessee students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (71.1%) than Tennessee (68.4%)

Tennessee vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than The University of Tennessee (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $5,800 more per year than Tennessee graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $56,300)
  • The University of Tennessee students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($20,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Tennessee graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($206 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tennessee students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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