VSU vs. Fairmont State

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

 VSU Fairmont State
Location Petersburg, VA Fairmont, WV
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 5,190 3,307
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #930 #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vsu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 VSU Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $5,540 $6,468
Tuition (Out of State) $17,038 $16,174
Room & Board $12,966 $11,486
Avg Net Price $16,184 $10,993
Avg Grant Aid $12,300 $7,034
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 92%

Admission

 VSU Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,577 1,979
Admitted 9,424 1,964
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 99.2%
Enrolled % 15.4% 34.3%
Avg High School GPA 2.85 3.36
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/20 17/23
SAT Range 800/1050 830/1040
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2026

Academics

 VSU Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 VSU Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 40% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $29,500 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $305 $227

Diversity

 VSU Fairmont State
% Men 3% 3%
% Women 4% 5%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 86%
% Black 87% 5%
% Hispanic 2% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 VSU Fairmont State
% In-State 66% 87%
% Out-of-State 33% 11%

Campus

 VSU Fairmont State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Fairmont State based on total student enrollment (5,190 students vs. 3,307 students)

VSU vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, VSU or Fairmont State ?

  • Fairmont State University is 16.8% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($6,468.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.3% higher at VSU than Fairmont State University ($17,038.00 vs. $16,174.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than VSU ($10,993 vs. $16,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 12.9% lower than costs at Virginia State University ($11,486 vs. $12,966)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University as Fairmont State University (92% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 74.9% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($12,300 vs. $7,034)

VSU vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Fairmont State University (962) is 105 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Fairmont State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Fairmont State students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (99.2%) than VSU (89.1%)

VSU vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, VSU or Fairmont State ? 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 Fairmont State and VSU.

  • The graduation rate at VSU is higher than Fairmont State University (40% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Fairmont State University earn on average $900 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($37,600 vs. $36,700)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($22,000 vs. $29,500)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($227 vs. $305)
  • More Fairmont State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 28%)

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