Howard vs. VCU

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

Howard VCU
Location Washington, DC Richmond, VA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 12,886 28,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Howard VCU
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $33,726
Room & Board $15,880 $12,279
Avg Net Price $28,279 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 83%

Admission

Howard VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 18,242
Admitted 10,253 16,600
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 91%
Enrolled % 24.3% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 22/30
SAT Range 1050/1290 1030/1290
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 15, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

Academics

Howard VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Howard VCU
Graduation Rate 63% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $279 $240

Diversity

Howard VCU
% Men 29% 36%
% Women 71% 64%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very High
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 50%
% Black 91% 18%
% Hispanic 0% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 6%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Howard VCU
% In-State 1% 92%
% Out-of-State 91% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Howard based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 12,886 students)

Howard vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or VCU?

  • Howard University is 145.5% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($30,584.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.3% higher at VCU than Howard University ($33,726.00 vs. $30,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Howard ($21,294 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 29.3% lower than costs at Howard University ($12,279 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Virginia Commonwealth University (99% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 59.4% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($20,063 vs. $12,583)

Howard vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 8 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming Howard students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Howard (3.66)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Howard is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Howard University earn on average $4,300 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • VCU graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($240 vs. $279)
  • More VCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 33%)

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