SU vs. VCU

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

SU VCU
Location Winchester, VA Richmond, VA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 4,260 28,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #537 #442
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website su.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SU VCU
Tuition (In State) $33,790 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $33,790 $33,726
Room & Board $11,230 $12,279
Avg Net Price $26,143 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $23,467 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

SU VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,296 18,242
Admitted 1,845 16,600
Acceptance Rate 80.4% 91%
Enrolled % 25.7% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 22/30
SAT Range 1010/1230 1030/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

Academics

SU VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (36%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (17%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

SU VCU
Graduation Rate 45% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,300 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $258 $240

Diversity

SU VCU
% Men 32% 36%
% Women 68% 64%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 50%
% Black 11% 18%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 13% 1%

Students

SU VCU
% In-State 52% 92%
% Out-of-State 48% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than SU based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 4,260 students)

SU vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SU or VCU?

  • Shenandoah University is 171.2% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($33,790.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at SU than Virginia Commonwealth University ($33,790.00 vs. $33,726.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than SU ($21,294 vs. $26,143)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shenandoah University are 9.3% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($11,230 vs. $12,279)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Shenandoah University than Virginia Commonwealth University (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Shenandoah University students is 86.5% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($23,467 vs. $12,583)

SU vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 92 points higher than at SU (1005)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at SU (22)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at SU (3.7)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than SU (80.4%)

SU vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SU or VCU? 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 VCU and SU.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Shenandoah University (53% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Shenandoah University earn on average $800 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($48,300 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $1,750 lower median federal student loan debt than SU graduates. ($23,250 vs. $25,000)
  • VCU graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than SU graduates. ($240 vs. $258)
  • More SU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 56%)

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