VSU vs. UW-Eau Claire

Should I go to Virginia State University or University of Wisconsin Eau Claire? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if VSU or UW-Eau Claire 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. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire comparison
Virginia State University University of Wisconsin Eau Claire College 3 College 4
Virginia State University University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
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Overview

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Location Petersburg, VA Eau Claire, WI
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 5,190 9,991
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #930 #563
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vsu.edu uwec.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Tuition (In State) $5,540 $7,645
Tuition (Out of State) $17,038 $16,884
Room & Board $12,966 $9,200
Avg Net Price $16,184 $15,323
Avg Grant Aid $12,300 $3,800
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 60%

Admission

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,577 10,315
Admitted 9,424 7,848
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 76.1%
Enrolled % 15.4% 27.6%
Avg High School GPA 2.85 3.59
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/20 21/26
SAT Range 800/1050
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 May 1, 2026 Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Graduation Rate 40% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $47,900
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $29,500 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $305 $240

Diversity

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
% Men 3% 3%
% Women 4% 4%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 89%
% Black 87% 1%
% Hispanic 2% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
% In-State 66% 67%
% Out-of-State 33% 32%

Campus

 VSU UW-Eau Claire
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is larger than than VSU based on total student enrollment (9,991 students vs. 5,190 students)

VSU vs. UW-Eau Claire Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, VSU or UW-Eau Claire?

  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is 38% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($7,645.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.9% higher at VSU than University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($17,038.00 vs. $16,884.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire than VSU ($15,323 vs. $16,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire are 40.9% lower than costs at Virginia State University ($9,200 vs. $12,966)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (92% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 223.7% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($12,300 vs. $3,800)

VSU vs. UW-Eau Claire Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (1110) is 253 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming UW-Eau Claire students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman UW-Eau Claire students have a 0.74 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than UW-Eau Claire (76.1%)

VSU vs. UW-Eau Claire Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, VSU or UW-Eau Claire? 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 UW-Eau Claire and VSU.

  • The graduation rate at UW-Eau Claire is higher than Virginia State University (65% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of Wisconsin Eau Claire earn on average $11,200 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $36,700)
  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students graduate with a $6,250 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($23,250 vs. $29,500)
  • UW-Eau Claire graduates are paying $65 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($240 vs. $305)
  • More UW-Eau Claire graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 28%)

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