TU vs. VMI

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

TU VMI
Location Towson, MD Lexington, VA
Setting Small City Distant Rural
Enrollment 19,527 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #375 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

TU VMI
Tuition (In State) $7,382 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $24,402 $40,778
Room & Board $15,644 $10,990
Avg Net Price $15,064 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $11,565 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 81%

Admission

TU VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,948 1,171
Admitted 15,689 957
Acceptance Rate 82.8% 81.7%
Enrolled % 19.2% 49%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/28 22/28
SAT Range 1050/1270 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 Apr 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

TU VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

TU VMI
Graduation Rate 64% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,500 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,750 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $183 $258

Diversity

TU VMI
% Men 4% 61%
% Women 12% 9%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 80%
% Black 18% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

TU VMI
% In-State 90% 63%
% Out-of-State 9% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Towson University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (19,527 students vs. 1,560 students)

TU vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TU or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is 36.5% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($10,076.00 vs. $7,382.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67.1% higher at VMI than Towson University ($40,778.00 vs. $24,402.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than VMI ($15,064 vs. $17,229)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 42.3% lower than costs at Towson University ($10,990 vs. $15,644)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Military Institute than Towson University (81% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 18.8% larger than aid received Towson University ($13,735 vs. $11,565)

TU vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 58 points higher than at TU (1081)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at TU (23)
  • Accepted freshman TU students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • TU has a higher acceptance rate (82.8%) than VMI (81.7%)

TU vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TU 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 TU.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Towson University (69% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $8,600 more per year than TU graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $53,500)
  • Towson University students graduate with a $7,250 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($17,750 vs. $25,000)
  • TU graduates are paying $75 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($183 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TU 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/