Quad

Head-to-head

U. Massachusetts-Amherst
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Massachusetts-Amherst's grants cover 25% of its full price on average, vs. 12% at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    U. Massachusetts-Amherst costs about $8.9K less per year on average than Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State ($31,117 vs. $40,019, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State grads earn $10.1K more ten years out than U. Massachusetts-Amherst's ($81,698 vs. $71,631)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State's yield is 7 pts higher than U. Massachusetts-Amherst's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State graduates 6 pts more of its students than U. Massachusetts-Amherst (87% vs. 81%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    U. Massachusetts-Amherst has 5 pts more Pell recipients than Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State (20% vs. 15%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State admits 55%, U. Massachusetts-Amherst 60%; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State's yield is higher, at 25%.

Acceptance rate
U. Massachusetts-Amherst60%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State55%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. Massachusetts-AmherstVery selective
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
U. Massachusetts-Amherst
1310–1500
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
1280–1450
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. Massachusetts-AmherstGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State is a bit larger than U. Massachusetts-Amherst (30,923 vs. 23,671 undergrads); U. Massachusetts-Amherst has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Massachusetts-Amherst23.7K
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State30.9K
Pell Grant share
U. Massachusetts-Amherst20%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State15%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at U. Massachusetts-Amherst, and Management Science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State; both have 17 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
U. Massachusetts-Amherst17 to 1
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. Massachusetts-AmherstPsychology, General8%
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateManagement Science8%

What each costs

U. Massachusetts-Amherst costs about $8.9K less a year than Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Massachusetts-Amherst$31.1K
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State$40K
Aid generosity
U. Massachusetts-Amherst25%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State12%

What each pays off

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State's former students earn more, a median $81.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Massachusetts-Amherst$71.6K
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State$81.7K
Graduation rate
U. Massachusetts-Amherst81%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State87%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State got more selective while U. Massachusetts-Amherst held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. Massachusetts-AmherstGrowing+35%
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateGrowing+153%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why