Louisville vs. VCU

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

 Louisville VCU
Location Louisville, KY Richmond, VA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 22,017 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #382 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website louisville.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Louisville VCU
Tuition (In State) $12,324 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $28,670 $33,726
Room & Board $10,668 $12,279
Avg Net Price $19,327 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $12,216 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 83%

Admission

 Louisville VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,462 18,242
Admitted 12,608 16,600
Acceptance Rate 81.5% 91%
Enrolled % 23.2% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/27 22/30
SAT Range 1070/1270 1030/1290
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 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 Louisville VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Louisville VCU
Graduation Rate 51% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,200 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,656 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $203 $240

Diversity

 Louisville VCU
% Men 44% 36%
% Women 56% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 76% 50%
% Black 11% 18%
% Hispanic 4% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Louisville VCU
% In-State 73% 92%
% Out-of-State 27% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Louisville based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 22,017 students)

Louisville vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Louisville or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 1.1% more expensive to attend than Louisville for in-state tuition ($12,458.00 vs. $12,324.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.6% higher at VCU than University of Louisville ($33,726.00 vs. $28,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisville than VCU ($19,327 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Louisville are 15.1% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($10,668 vs. $12,279)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Louisville than Virginia Commonwealth University (97% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 3% larger than aid received University of Louisville ($12,583 vs. $12,216)

Louisville vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Louisville (1159) is 62 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming Louisville students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Louisville (3.64)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Louisville (81.5%)

Louisville vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Louisville or VCU? 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 VCU and Louisville.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than University of Louisville (53% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Louisville graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $45,200)
  • University of Louisville students graduate with a $3,594 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($19,656 vs. $23,250)
  • Louisville graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($203 vs. $240)
  • More Louisville graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 56%)

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