UVa-Wise vs. VSU

Should I go to The University of Virginia's College at Wise or Virginia State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UVa-Wise or VSU 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 Virginia's College at Wise vs. Virginia State University comparison
The University of Virginia's College at Wise Virginia State University College 3 College 4
The University of Virginia's College at Wise Virginia State University
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Overview

UVa-Wise VSU
Location Wise, VA Petersburg, VA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,704 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #750 #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uvawise.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UVa-Wise VSU
Tuition (In State) $6,040 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $25,419 $16,542
Room & Board $11,919 $11,544
Avg Net Price $9,923 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $14,299 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 92%

Admission

UVa-Wise VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 835 8,230
Admitted 631 7,384
Acceptance Rate 75.6% 89.7%
Enrolled % 39.8% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 14/17
SAT Range 915/1160 830/1030
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 Aug 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

UVa-Wise VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (21%)
  • Business (17%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UVa-Wise VSU
Graduation Rate 39% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,100 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,827 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $215 $305

Diversity

UVa-Wise VSU
% Men 40% 40%
% Women 60% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 78% 3%
% Black 12% 87%
% Hispanic 2% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 0%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 7%

Students

UVa-Wise VSU
% In-State 76% 72%
% Out-of-State 21% 27%

Campus

UVa-Wise VSU
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

  • Virginia State University is larger than than UVa-Wise based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 1,704 students)

UVa-Wise vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UVa-Wise or VSU?

  • The University of Virginia's College at Wise is 9% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($6,040.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53.7% higher at UVa-Wise than Virginia State University ($25,419.00 vs. $16,542.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Virginia's College at Wise than VSU ($9,923 vs. $15,773)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 3.2% lower than costs at The University of Virginia's College at Wise ($11,544 vs. $11,919)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Virginia's College at Wise than Virginia State University (98% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Virginia's College at Wise students is 24.4% larger than aid received Virginia State University ($14,299 vs. $11,498)

UVa-Wise vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Virginia's College at Wise (942) is 85 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming UVa-Wise students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman UVa-Wise students have a 0.72 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than UVa-Wise (75.6%)

UVa-Wise vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UVa-Wise or VSU? 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 VSU and UVa-Wise.

  • The graduation rate at VSU is higher than The University of Virginia's College at Wise (40% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from The University of Virginia's College at Wise earn on average $5,400 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($42,100 vs. $36,700)
  • The University of Virginia's College at Wise students graduate with a $8,673 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($20,827 vs. $29,500)
  • UVa-Wise graduates are paying $90 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($215 vs. $305)
  • More UVa-Wise graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 28%)

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