Virginia Commonwealth University

www.vcu.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,094

0.698% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$19,656

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.939%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

92.8%

17,579 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

28,594

82.3% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

67.5%

2,685 Graduates

About

Virginia Commonwealth University is a higher education institution located in Richmond city, VA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Virginia Commonwealth University were General Psychology (591 degrees awarded), Health Teacher Education (428 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (415 degrees).

In 2021, 7,933 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Virginia Commonwealth University. 62.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 37.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (3,922 degrees), 3.09 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1,270 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University is $12,094, which is $−16,898 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by Tom Woodward

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University is $12,094, which is $−16,898 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $19,656.

In 2021, 67% of undergraduate students attending Virginia Commonwealth University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 44% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,094

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University was $12,094. The cost of tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University is $−16,898 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$19,656

2021 Value

4.42%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Virginia Commonwealth University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $19,656. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Virginia Commonwealth University grew by 4.42%.

This chart compares the average net price of Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$11,504

Room and Board

$1,500

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Virginia Commonwealth University was of $11,504 in 2021. The cost of room and board decreased by 0.0174% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,500. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 47.6% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

67%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

44%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

67% of undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 13.6% with respect to 2020, when 59% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.939%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Virginia Commonwealth University was 0.939%, which represents 59 out of the 6281 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Virginia Commonwealth University received 17,579 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 1.89% annual growth. Out of those 17,579 applicants, 16,308 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 92.8% acceptance rate.

There were 28,594 students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021. 29% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Virginia Commonwealth University has an overall enrollment yield of 25%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

92.8%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

16,308

Accepted Out of 17,579

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Virginia Commonwealth University was 92.8% (16,308 admissions from 17,579 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 90.6%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 1.89%, while admissions grew by 4.32%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

29%

Submission Percentage (2021)

1,200

Scores Submitted (2021)

29% of enrolled first-time students at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Virginia Commonwealth University had a total enrollment of 28,594 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Virginia Commonwealth University is 23,539 students and the part-time enrollment is 5,055. This means that 82.3% of students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Virginia Commonwealth University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 43.7% White, 18.5% Black or African American, 13.4% Asian, 9.61% Hispanic or Latino, 6.85% Two or More Races, 0.175% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0769% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (25.3%), followed by White Male (15.3%) and Black or African American Female (13.9%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (31.2%), followed by White Male (16.3%) and Black or African American Female (8.24%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

82.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 28,594 students. The full-time enrollment at Virginia Commonwealth University is 23,539 and the part-time enrollment is 5,055. This means that 82.3% of students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

84%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Virginia Commonwealth University was 84%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Virginia Commonwealth University had a retention rate approximately the same as its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Virginia Commonwealth University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
12,491 enrolled students
Black or African American
5,291 enrolled students
Asian
3,840 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Virginia Commonwealth University is 43.7% White, 18.5% Black or African American, 13.4% Asian, 9.61% Hispanic or Latino, 6.85% Two or More Races, 0.175% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0769% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,165 students (4.07%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 2,041 more women than men received degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Virginia Commonwealth University is white (3,922 degrees awarded). There were 3.09 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1270 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Virginia Commonwealth University is General Psychology (591 degrees awarded), followed by Health Teacher Education (428 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (415 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Virginia Commonwealth University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Cultural & Gender Studies (106 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (627 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (437 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Physicians

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Virginia Commonwealth University are Physicians (419,934 people), Other managers (224,745 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (207,475 people), Postsecondary teachers (184,412 people), and Social workers, all other (167,711 people).

The most specialized majors at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021 are Cultural & Gender Studies (106 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (627 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (437 degrees), Public Administration and Social Service (348 degrees), and Biology (618 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Virginia Commonwealth University are Surgeons, Media and communication workers, all other, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Aircraft pilots & flight engineers, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at Virginia Commonwealth University are Cultural & Gender Studies (106 degrees awarded), Visual & Performing Arts (627 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (437 degrees), Public Administration and Social Service (348 degrees), and Biology (618 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Virginia Commonwealth University are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (605,680 people), Elementary & secondary schools (482,495 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (437,047 people), Offices of physicians (216,591 people), and Outpatient care centers (162,651 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Most Common (2021)

General Psychology
591 degree-majors awarded
Health Teacher Education
428 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
415 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Virginia Commonwealth University was General Psychology with 591 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Virginia Commonwealth University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,946

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

4,987

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 2,946 degrees were awarded to men at Virginia Commonwealth University, which is 0.591 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (4,987).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Virginia Commonwealth University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 211 degrees were awarded to men at Virginia Commonwealth University in General Business, which is 1.08 times more than the 195 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 497 degrees were awarded to men at Virginia Commonwealth University in General Psychology, which is 4.36 times more than the 114 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

45%

100% Completion Time

67%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 45% of students graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 67% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 70% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (76.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Virginia Commonwealth University is Female and Asian (76.3% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.04% of graduates (28 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
3,922 degrees awarded
Black or African American
1,270 degrees awarded
Asian
1,041 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Virginia Commonwealth University is white (3,922 degrees awarded). There were 3.09 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (1270 degrees).

3.52% of degree recipients (279 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
2,421 degrees awarded
White Male
1,501 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
857 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Virginia Commonwealth University is white female (2,421 degrees awarded). There were 1.61 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1501 degrees).

Operations

Virginia Commonwealth University has an endowment valued at nearly $2.73B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 70.5M (2.58%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Virginia Commonwealth University had a total salary expenditure of 1.2B. Virginia Commonwealth University employs 492 Assistant professors, 445 Associate professors and 233 Professors. Most academics at Virginia Commonwealth University are Female Assistant professor (269), Male Associate professor (223), and Male Assistant professor (223).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Virginia Commonwealth University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 690 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 506 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 430 employees.

Endowment

$2.73B

2021 Endowment

37%

growth from 2020

Virginia Commonwealth University has an endowment valued at about $2.73B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Virginia Commonwealth University grew 37% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.34B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Virginia Commonwealth University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$171M - Federal
$12.1M - State
$1.31M - Local

As of 2021, Virginia Commonwealth University received $171M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $12.1M from state grants and contracts, and $1.31M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$537M

2021 Salaries

1.47%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Virginia Commonwealth University paid a median of $537M in salaries, which represents 44.8% of their overall expenditure ($1.2B) and a 1.47% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$135M

Instructional Salaries

1,271

Number of Employees

In 2021, Virginia Commonwealth University paid a total of $135M to 1,271 employees working as instructors, which represents 25.1% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

492 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

690 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Virginia Commonwealth University were Assistant professor with 492 employees, Associate professor with 445 employees, and Professor with 233 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Virginia Commonwealth University were Business and Financial Operations with 690 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 506 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 430 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Female Assistant professor
Male Associate professor
Male Assistant professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Virginia Commonwealth University was Female Assistant professor with 269 employees, Male Associate professor with 223 employees, and Male Assistant professor with 223 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Virginia Commonwealth University.