CofC vs. VMI

Should I go to College of Charleston or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CofC 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UofSC Clemson Coastal Carolina CSU Elon USC Beaufort Furman Winthrop University Virginia Tech JMU Citadel Military College of South Carolina Auburn
College of Charleston vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
College of Charleston Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
College of Charleston Virginia Military Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 CofC VMI
Location Charleston, SC Lexington, VA
Setting Midsize City Distant Rural
Enrollment 10,885 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #428 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cofc.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CofC VMI
Tuition (In State) $12,518 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $35,338 $39,590
Room & Board $12,986 $10,674
Avg Net Price $21,120 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $9,499 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 69%

Admission

 CofC VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,020 1,192
Admitted 16,666 847
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 71.1%
Enrolled % 13.3% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.65
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 22/29
SAT Range 1130/1300 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 Jan 15, 2024 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 CofC VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 CofC VMI
Graduation Rate 63% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $222 $258

Diversity

 CofC VMI
% Men 32% 87%
% Women 68% 13%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 80% 80%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 CofC VMI
% In-State 44% 63%
% Out-of-State 54% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • College of Charleston is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (10,885 students vs. 1,512 students)

CofC vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CofC or VMI?

  • College of Charleston is 28% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($12,518.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12% higher at VMI than College of Charleston ($39,590.00 vs. $35,338.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than CofC ($18,129 vs. $21,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 21.7% lower than costs at College of Charleston ($10,674 vs. $12,986)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of Charleston than Virginia Military Institute (100% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 101.2% larger than aid received College of Charleston ($19,111 vs. $9,499)

CofC vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at College of Charleston (1141) is 2 points higher than at VMI (1139)
  • Incoming CofC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman CofC students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • CofC has a higher acceptance rate (75.7%) than VMI (71.1%)

CofC vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CofC 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 CofC.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than College of Charleston (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $15,900 more per year than CofC graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $46,200)
  • College of Charleston students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,000)
  • CofC graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CofC students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 60%)

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