Salisbury vs. VCU

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

Salisbury VCU
Location Salisbury, MD Richmond, VA
Setting Small Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 7,123 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #357 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website salisbury.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Salisbury VCU
Tuition (In State) $7,556 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $18,032 $33,726
Room & Board $12,990 $12,279
Avg Net Price $19,756 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $6,917 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 83%

Admission

Salisbury VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,108 18,242
Admitted 7,383 16,600
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 91%
Enrolled % 18.7% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 22/30
SAT Range 1180/1320 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 Jan 15, 2024 Jan 18, 2024

Academics

Salisbury VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Salisbury VCU
Graduation Rate 67% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,153 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $208 $240

Diversity

Salisbury VCU
% Men 43% 36%
% Women 57% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 50%
% Black 13% 18%
% Hispanic 4% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Salisbury VCU
% In-State 80% 92%
% Out-of-State 19% 6%

Campus

Salisbury 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

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Salisbury based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 7,123 students)

Salisbury vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Salisbury or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 64.9% more expensive to attend than Salisbury for in-state tuition ($12,458.00 vs. $7,556.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 87% higher at VCU than Salisbury University ($33,726.00 vs. $18,032.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Salisbury University than VCU ($19,756 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 5.8% lower than costs at Salisbury University ($12,279 vs. $12,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Salisbury University than Virginia Commonwealth University (95% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 81.9% larger than aid received Salisbury University ($12,583 vs. $6,917)

Salisbury vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Salisbury (3.73)
  • Salisbury has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than VCU (91%)

Salisbury vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salisbury 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 Salisbury.

  • The graduation rate at Salisbury is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (67% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Salisbury University earn on average $4,500 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($52,000 vs. $47,500)
  • Salisbury University students graduate with a $3,097 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($20,153 vs. $23,250)
  • Salisbury graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($208 vs. $240)
  • More Salisbury graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 56%)

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