Kentucky vs. VMI

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

Kentucky VMI
Location Lexington, KY Lexington, VA
Setting Large City Distant Rural
Enrollment 31,547 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #408 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uky.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Kentucky VMI
Tuition (In State) $11,496 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $30,913 $39,590
Room & Board $14,676 $10,674
Avg Net Price $18,693 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $14,114 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 69%

Admission

Kentucky VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,109 1,192
Admitted 20,979 847
Acceptance Rate 94.9% 71.1%
Enrolled % 28.9% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 22/29
SAT Range 1070/1290 1105/1300
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 15, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Kentucky VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Kentucky VMI
Graduation Rate 59% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,750 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $235 $258

Diversity

Kentucky VMI
% Men 40% 87%
% Women 60% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 80%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Kentucky VMI
% In-State 61% 63%
% Out-of-State 37% 35%

Campus

Kentucky 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

  • University of Kentucky is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (31,547 students vs. 1,512 students)

Kentucky vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Kentucky or VMI?

  • University of Kentucky is 17.5% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($11,496.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.1% higher at VMI than University of Kentucky ($39,590.00 vs. $30,913.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Kentucky ($18,129 vs. $18,693)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 37.5% lower than costs at University of Kentucky ($10,674 vs. $14,676)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kentucky than Virginia Military Institute (94% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 35.4% larger than aid received University of Kentucky ($19,111 vs. $14,114)

Kentucky vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Kentucky (1143) is 4 points higher than at VMI (1139)
  • Incoming Kentucky students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Kentucky (3.59)
  • Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (94.9%) than VMI (71.1%)

Kentucky vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kentucky 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 Kentucky.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than University of Kentucky (69% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $11,100 more per year than Kentucky graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $51,000)
  • University of Kentucky students graduate with a $2,250 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($22,750 vs. $25,000)
  • Kentucky graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($235 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kentucky students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 62%)

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