Purchase College vs. VCU

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

 Purchase College VCU
Location Purchase, NY Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 3,229 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #297 #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Purchase College VCU
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $34,744
Room & Board $15,400 $16,119
Avg Net Price $18,651 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $9,627 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 99%

Admission

 Purchase College VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,221 19,052
Admitted 5,259 17,729
Acceptance Rate 72.8% 93.1%
Enrolled % 14.8% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 22/30
SAT Range 1178/1363 1030/1270
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 Jul 1, 2025 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 Purchase College VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Purchase College VCU
Graduation Rate 56% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $232 $240

Diversity

 Purchase College VCU
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 1% 17%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 50%
% Black 10% 18%
% Hispanic 18% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 Purchase College VCU
% In-State 78% 92%
% Out-of-State 21% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 3,229 students)

Purchase College vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 81.8% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($12,850.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 104.6% higher at VCU than SUNY at Purchase College ($34,744.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than VCU ($18,651 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 4.7% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($15,400 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than SUNY at Purchase College (99% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 29.1% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($12,433 vs. $9,627)

Purchase College vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 15 points higher than at Purchase College (1082)
  • Incoming Purchase College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than Purchase College (72.8%)

Purchase College vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College 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 Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Purchase College is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (56% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University earn on average $7,300 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($22,500 vs. $23,250)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($232 vs. $240)
  • More Purchase College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 56%)

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