West Point vs. VMI vs. VMI

Should I go to United States Military Academy or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if West Point 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.
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United States Military Academy vs. Virginia Military Institute vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
United States Military Academy Virginia Military Institute Virginia Military Institute College 4
United States Military Academy Virginia Military Institute Virginia Military Institute
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Overview

 West Point VMI VMI
Location West Point, New York Lexington, VA Lexington, VA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Rural Distant Rural
Enrollment 4,508 1,560 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #175 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website westpoint.edu vmi.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 West Point VMI VMI
Tuition (In State) $0 $10,076 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $0 $40,778 $40,778
Room & Board $0 $10,990 $10,990
Avg Net Price - $17,229 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $0 $13,735 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 81% 81%

Admission

 West Point VMI VMI
Applied 11,430 1,171 1,171
Admitted 1,598 957 957
Acceptance Rate 14% 81.7% 81.7%
Enrolled % 75.7% 49% 49%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.65 3.65
Typical High School Grades A/A+ B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 28/33 22/28 22/28
SAT Range 1200/1430 1040/1260 1040/1260
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 31, 2026 Feb 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 West Point VMI VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (21%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 West Point VMI VMI
Graduation Rate 80% 69% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $62,100 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments - 84% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $25,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $258 $258

Diversity

 West Point VMI VMI
% Men 1% 61% 61%
% Women 0% 9% 9%
Racial Diversity - Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No No
% White 0% 80% 80%
% Black 0% 6% 6%
% Hispanic 0% 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 0% 2% 2%
% International 0% 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 0% 0%

Students

 West Point VMI VMI
% In-State 7% 63% 63%
% Out-of-State 92% 35% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • United States Military Academy is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (4,508 students vs. 1,560 students)

West Point vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, West Point or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is ?% more expensive to attend than West Point for in-state tuition ($10,076.00 vs. $0.00)
  • Out of state tuition is ?% higher at VMI than United States Military Academy ($40,778.00 vs. $0.00)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Military Institute than United States Military Academy (81% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is ?% larger than aid received United States Military Academy ($13,735 vs. $0)

West Point vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman West Point students have a 0.35 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than West Point (14%)

West Point vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, West Point 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 West Point.

  • The graduation rate at West Point is higher than Virginia Military Institute (80% vs. 69%)

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