UL Lafayette vs. WVU

Should I go to University of Louisiana at Lafayette or West Virginia University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UL Lafayette or WVU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Marshall University LSU JMU ECU Penn State Nicholls State University TU LA Tech- Louisiana Tech- Tech Ohio University WCU Kent State WVSU
University of Louisiana at Lafayette vs. West Virginia University comparison
University of Louisiana at Lafayette West Virginia University College 3 College 4
University of Louisiana at Lafayette West Virginia University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UL Lafayette WVU
Location Lafayette, LA Morgantown, WV
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 15,345 24,200
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #715 #534
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website louisiana.edu wvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UL Lafayette WVU
Tuition (In State) $5,407 $9,648
Tuition (Out of State) $19,135 $27,360
Room & Board $11,988 $13,876
Avg Net Price $13,443 $13,691
Avg Grant Aid $10,869 $11,893
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 93%

Admission

 UL Lafayette WVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,679 19,857
Admitted 9,486 17,129
Acceptance Rate 88.8% 86.3%
Enrolled % 32.3% 25.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/27 20/26
SAT Range 1120/1255 1010/1240
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

Academics

 UL Lafayette WVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 UL Lafayette WVU
Graduation Rate 41% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,000 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $24,001
Median Loan Payment $201 $248

Diversity

 UL Lafayette WVU
% Men 6% 10%
% Women 8% 13%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 81%
% Black 22% 5%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 UL Lafayette WVU
% In-State 96% 43%
% Out-of-State 3% 56%

Campus

 UL Lafayette WVU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • West Virginia University is larger than than UL Lafayette based on total student enrollment (24,200 students vs. 15,345 students)

UL Lafayette vs. WVU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UL Lafayette or WVU?

  • West Virginia University is 78.4% more expensive to attend than UL Lafayette for in-state tuition ($9,648.00 vs. $5,407.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43% higher at WVU than University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($27,360.00 vs. $19,135.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisiana at Lafayette than WVU ($13,443 vs. $13,691)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Louisiana at Lafayette are 15.7% lower than costs at West Virginia University ($11,988 vs. $13,876)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia University than University of Louisiana at Lafayette (93% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia University students is 9.4% larger than aid received University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($11,893 vs. $10,869)

UL Lafayette vs. WVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Virginia University (1078) is 9 points higher than at UL Lafayette (1069)
  • Incoming WVU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at UL Lafayette (23)
  • Accepted freshman WVU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at UL Lafayette (3.4)
  • UL Lafayette has a higher acceptance rate (88.8%) than WVU (86.3%)

UL Lafayette vs. WVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UL Lafayette or WVU? 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 WVU and UL Lafayette.

  • The graduation rate at WVU is higher than University of Louisiana at Lafayette (57% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from West Virginia University earn on average $5,600 more per year than UL Lafayette graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $45,000)
  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette students graduate with a $4,501 lower median federal student loan debt than WVU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,001)
  • UL Lafayette graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than WVU graduates. ($201 vs. $248)
  • More WVU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UL Lafayette students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 55%)

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