UNC Charlotte vs. VCU

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

 UNC Charlotte VCU
Location Charlotte, NC Richmond, VA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 29,551 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #562 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncc.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNC Charlotte VCU
Tuition (In State) $3,812 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $17,936 $33,726
Room & Board $12,896 $12,279
Avg Net Price $13,951 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $7,907 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 83%

Admission

 UNC Charlotte VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,355 18,242
Admitted 17,007 16,600
Acceptance Rate 79.6% 91%
Enrolled % 24.4% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 22/30
SAT Range 1070/1290 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 Jun 1, 2025 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 UNC Charlotte VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 UNC Charlotte VCU
Graduation Rate 53% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $237 $240

Diversity

 UNC Charlotte VCU
% Men 49% 36%
% Women 51% 64%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 60% 50%
% Black 17% 18%
% Hispanic 9% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 UNC Charlotte VCU
% In-State 89% 92%
% Out-of-State 8% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is larger than than VCU based on total student enrollment (29,551 students vs. 28,082 students)

UNC Charlotte vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 226.8% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($12,458.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 88% higher at VCU than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($33,726.00 vs. $17,936.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than VCU ($13,951 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 5% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($12,279 vs. $12,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (83% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 59.1% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($12,583 vs. $7,907)

UNC Charlotte vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 4 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1093)
  • Incoming UNC Charlotte students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at UNC Charlotte (3.57)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than UNC Charlotte (79.6%)

UNC Charlotte vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Charlotte 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 UNC Charlotte.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Charlotte is the same as at Virginia Commonwealth University (53% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn on average $1,100 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $47,500)
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte students graduate with a $250 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($23,000 vs. $23,250)
  • UNC Charlotte graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($237 vs. $240)
  • More UNC Charlotte graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 56%)

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