UNCW vs. VMI

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Wilmington or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNCW 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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University of North Carolina at Wilmington vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
University of North Carolina at Wilmington Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Wilmington Virginia Military Institute
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Overview

UNCW VMI
Location Wilmington, NC Lexington, VA
Setting Midsize City Distant Rural
Enrollment 17,843 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #377 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncw.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNCW VMI
Tuition (In State) $4,443 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $19,063 $39,590
Room & Board $12,120 $10,674
Avg Net Price $18,709 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $6,217 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 56% 69%

Admission

UNCW VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,860 1,192
Admitted 11,605 847
Acceptance Rate 68.8% 71.1%
Enrolled % 20.4% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 24/29 22/29
SAT Range 1220/1370 1105/1300
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 Feb 1, 2024 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

UNCW VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

UNCW VMI
Graduation Rate 67% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,700 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $211 $258

Diversity

UNCW VMI
% Men 34% 87%
% Women 66% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 80%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UNCW VMI
% In-State 80% 63%
% Out-of-State 19% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington is larger than than VMI based on total student enrollment (17,843 students vs. 1,512 students)

UNCW vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNCW or VMI?

  • Virginia Military Institute is 120.2% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($9,782.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 107.7% higher at VMI than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($39,590.00 vs. $19,063.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than UNCW ($18,129 vs. $18,709)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 13.5% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($10,674 vs. $12,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Military Institute than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (69% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 207.4% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($19,111 vs. $6,217)

UNCW vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1162) is 23 points higher than at VMI (1139)
  • Incoming UNCW students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at UNCW (3.56)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (71.1%) than UNCW (68.8%)

UNCW vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNCW 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 UNCW.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (69% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $17,400 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $44,700)
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VMI graduates. ($20,500 vs. $25,000)
  • UNCW graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than VMI graduates. ($211 vs. $258)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNCW students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 64%)

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