UIC vs. VCM

Should I go to University of Illinois at Chicago or VanderCook College of Music? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UIC or VCM 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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University of Illinois at Chicago vs. VanderCook College of Music comparison
University of Illinois at Chicago VanderCook College of Music College 3 College 4
University of Illinois at Chicago
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Overview

UIC VCM
Location Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 33,747 263
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #234
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu vandercook.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UIC VCM
Tuition (In State) $10,970 $27,670
Tuition (Out of State) $25,578 $27,670
Room & Board $14,400 $7,500
Avg Net Price $10,384 $12,436
Avg Grant Aid $13,813 $27,884
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 100%

Admission

UIC VCM
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,562 22
Admitted 18,541 22
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 100%
Enrolled % 22.9% 50%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Difficult Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 15/20
SAT Range 1110/1340 890/1160
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, 2025 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

UIC VCM
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 4:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (100%)

Outcomes

UIC VCM
Graduation Rate 54% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $193 $279

Diversity

UIC VCM
% Men 44% 43%
% Women 56% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 34% 62%
% Black 8% 8%
% Hispanic 28% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UIC VCM
% In-State 88% 58%
% Out-of-State 5% 42%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than VCM based on total student enrollment (33,747 students vs. 263 students)

UIC vs. VCM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or VCM?

  • VanderCook College of Music is 152.2% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($27,670.00 vs. $10,970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.2% higher at VCM than University of Illinois at Chicago ($27,670.00 vs. $25,578.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than VCM ($10,384 vs. $12,436)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at VanderCook College of Music are 92% lower than costs at University of Illinois at Chicago ($7,500 vs. $14,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at VanderCook College of Music than University of Illinois at Chicago (100% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by VanderCook College of Music students is 101.9% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($27,884 vs. $13,813)

UIC vs. VCM Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at VanderCook College of Music (1107) is 15 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming VCM students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UIC students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at VCM (3.1)
  • VCM has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than UIC (78.7%)

UIC vs. VCM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC or VCM? 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 VCM and UIC.

  • The graduation rate at UIC is higher than VanderCook College of Music (54% vs. 45%)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $8,250 lower median federal student loan debt than VCM graduates. ($18,750 vs. $27,000)
  • UIC graduates are paying $86 less per month on federal student loans than VCM graduates. ($193 vs. $279)
  • More UIC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCM students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 66%)

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