UC Riverside vs. VCU

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

 UC Riverside VCU
Location Riverside, CA Richmond, VA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 26,426 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #265 #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside VCU
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $34,744
Room & Board $19,433 $16,119
Avg Net Price $13,533 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $21,566 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 99%

Admission

 UC Riverside VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 62,807 19,052
Admitted 39,758 17,729
Acceptance Rate 63.3% 93.1%
Enrolled % 13.9% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 22/30
SAT Range 1080/1280 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 Nov 30, 2024 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 UC Riverside VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside VCU
Graduation Rate 67% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $197 $240

Diversity

 UC Riverside VCU
% Men 9% 8%
% Women 5% 17%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 50%
% Black 4% 18%
% Hispanic 36% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UC Riverside VCU
% In-State 95% 92%
% Out-of-State 1% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 26,426 students)

UC Riverside vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or VCU?

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is 8.6% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($12,850.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.6% higher at UC Riverside than Virginia Commonwealth University ($42,611.00 vs. $34,744.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than VCU ($13,533 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 20.6% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($16,119 vs. $19,433)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than University of California Riverside (99% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 73.5% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($21,566 vs. $12,433)

UC Riverside vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 22 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at VCU (3.75)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than UC Riverside (63.3%)

UC Riverside vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (67% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $4,700 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $47,500)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $4,141 lower median federal student loan debt than VCU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,250)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than VCU graduates. ($197 vs. $240)
  • More UC Riverside 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/