VSU vs. UW-La Crosse

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

 VSU UW-La Crosse
Location Petersburg, VA La Crosse, WI
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 5,190 10,299
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #930 #566
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vsu.edu uwlax.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 VSU UW-La Crosse
Tuition (In State) $5,540 $7,974
Tuition (Out of State) $17,038 $17,014
Room & Board $12,966 $7,960
Avg Net Price $16,184 $13,125
Avg Grant Aid $12,300 $4,678
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 36%

Admission

 VSU UW-La Crosse
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,577 7,312
Admitted 9,424 5,356
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 73.2%
Enrolled % 15.4% 43%
Avg High School GPA 2.85 3.6
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 14/20 22/26
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

Academics

 VSU UW-La Crosse
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 (22%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

 VSU UW-La Crosse
Graduation Rate 40% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $49,500
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $29,500 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $305 $240

Diversity

 VSU UW-La Crosse
% Men 3% 3%
% Women 4% 6%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 90%
% Black 87% 1%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

 VSU UW-La Crosse
% In-State 66% 80%
% Out-of-State 33% 19%

Campus

 VSU UW-La Crosse
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 La Crosse is larger than than VSU based on total student enrollment (10,299 students vs. 5,190 students)

VSU vs. UW-La Crosse Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, VSU or UW-La Crosse?

  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse is 43.9% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($7,974.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at VSU than University of Wisconsin La Crosse ($17,038.00 vs. $17,014.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin La Crosse than VSU ($13,125 vs. $16,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin La Crosse are 62.9% lower than costs at Virginia State University ($7,960 vs. $12,966)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than University of Wisconsin La Crosse (92% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 162.9% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin La Crosse ($12,300 vs. $4,678)

VSU vs. UW-La Crosse Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin La Crosse (1130) is 273 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming UW-La Crosse students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman UW-La Crosse students have a 0.75 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than UW-La Crosse (73.2%)

VSU vs. UW-La Crosse Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, VSU or UW-La Crosse? 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-La Crosse and VSU.

  • The graduation rate at UW-La Crosse is higher than Virginia State University (68% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of Wisconsin La Crosse earn on average $12,800 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($49,500 vs. $36,700)
  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse students graduate with a $6,250 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($23,250 vs. $29,500)
  • UW-La Crosse graduates are paying $65 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($240 vs. $305)
  • More UW-La Crosse graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 28%)

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