WCU vs. VMI

Should I go to Western Carolina University or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WCU or VMI 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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Western Carolina University vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
Western Carolina University Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
Western Carolina University Virginia Military Institute
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Overview

WCU VMI
Location Cullowhee, NC Lexington, VA
Setting Distant Town Distant Rural
Enrollment 11,635 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #763 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcu.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WCU VMI
Tuition (In State) $1,000 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $5,000 $39,590
Room & Board $11,173 $10,674
Avg Net Price $13,022 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $4,526 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 69%

Admission

WCU VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,917 1,192
Admitted 15,201 847
Acceptance Rate 84.8% 71.1%
Enrolled % 12.7% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.44 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/26 22/29
SAT Range 1020/1240 1105/1300
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 Mar 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

WCU VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

WCU VMI
Graduation Rate 50% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,010 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $258

Diversity

WCU VMI
% Men 41% 87%
% Women 59% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 80%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

WCU VMI
% In-State 80% 63%
% Out-of-State 18% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Carolina University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (11,635 students vs. 1,512 students)

WCU vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is 878.2% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($9,782.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 691.8% higher at VMI than Western Carolina University ($39,590.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than VMI ($13,022 vs. $18,129)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 4.7% lower than costs at Western Carolina University ($10,674 vs. $11,173)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than Virginia Military Institute (99% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 322.2% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($19,111 vs. $4,526)

WCU vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 107 points higher than at WCU (1032)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at WCU (22)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at WCU (3.44)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (84.8%) than VMI (71.1%)

WCU vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU or VMI? 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 VMI and WCU.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Western Carolina University (69% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $23,000 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $2,990 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($22,010 vs. $25,000)
  • WCU graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($227 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 58%)

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