Wilkes vs. VMI

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

Wilkes VMI
Location Wilkes-Barre, PA Lexington, VA
Setting Small City Distant Rural
Enrollment 5,207 1,512
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #478 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wilkes.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wilkes VMI
Tuition (In State) $39,134 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $39,134 $39,590
Room & Board $15,850 $10,674
Avg Net Price $27,918 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $29,441 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 69%

Admission

Wilkes VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,798 1,192
Admitted 4,517 847
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 71.1%
Enrolled % 10.6% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/26 22/29
SAT Range 1060/1260 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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Wilkes VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Wilkes VMI
Graduation Rate 58% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,200 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $258

Diversity

Wilkes VMI
% Men 31% 87%
% Women 69% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 80%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 9% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

Wilkes VMI
% In-State 75% 63%
% Out-of-State 24% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wilkes University is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (5,207 students vs. 1,512 students)

Wilkes vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wilkes or VMI?

  • Wilkes University is 300.1% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($39,134.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.2% higher at VMI than Wilkes University ($39,590.00 vs. $39,134.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Wilkes ($18,129 vs. $27,918)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 48.5% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($10,674 vs. $15,850)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Virginia Military Institute (97% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 54.1% larger than aid received Virginia Military Institute ($29,441 vs. $19,111)

Wilkes vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 86 points higher than at Wilkes (1053)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Wilkes (3.56)
  • Wilkes has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than VMI (71.1%)

Wilkes vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wilkes 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 Wilkes.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Wilkes University (69% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $3,900 more per year than Wilkes graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $58,200)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Wilkes graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Wilkes graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wilkes students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 75%)

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