Liberty University vs. VCU

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

Liberty University VCU
Location Lynchburg, VA Richmond, VA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 103,068 28,238
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #852 #469
Religious Affiliation Baptist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website liberty.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Liberty University VCU
Tuition (In State) $20,579 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $20,579 $34,744
Room & Board $12,919 $16,119
Avg Net Price $29,692 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $12,023 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 99%

Admission

Liberty University VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 36,921 19,052
Admitted 36,671 17,729
Acceptance Rate 99.3%Open 93.1%
Enrolled % 17.5%Open 25.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/29 22/30
SAT Range 1040/1250 1030/1270
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 18, 2025

Academics

Liberty University VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (17%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • General Studies (14%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Liberty University VCU
Graduation Rate 47% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 36% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,166 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $249 $240

Diversity

Liberty University VCU
% Men 19% 8%
% Women 29% 17%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 50%
% Black 13% 18%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 31% 1%

Students

Liberty University VCU
% In-State 20% 92%
% Out-of-State 79% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Liberty University is larger than than VCU based on total student enrollment (103,068 students vs. 28,238 students)

Liberty University vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Liberty University or VCU?

  • Liberty University is 60.1% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($20,579.00 vs. $12,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.8% higher at VCU than Liberty University ($34,744.00 vs. $20,579.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Liberty University ($22,852 vs. $29,692)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Liberty University are 24.8% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($12,919 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Liberty University (99% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 3.4% larger than aid received Liberty University ($12,433 vs. $12,023)

Liberty University vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 27 points higher than at Liberty University (1070)
  • Incoming Liberty University students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Liberty University (3.56)
  • Liberty University has a higher acceptance rate (99.3%) than VCU (93.1%)

Liberty University vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Liberty University 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 Liberty University.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Liberty University (53% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University earn on average $8,400 more per year than Liberty University graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $39,100)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $916 lower median federal student loan debt than Liberty University graduates. ($23,250 vs. $24,166)
  • VCU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Liberty University graduates. ($240 vs. $249)
  • More VCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Liberty University students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 36%)

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