Quad

Head-to-head

Virginia Union
Philander Smith

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Virginia Union has 1.6× as many undergrads as Philander Smith

    Undergrads
  2. 2

    Virginia Union's grants cover 52% of its full price on average, vs. 49% at Philander Smith

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Virginia Union is more diverse (index 0.40 vs. 0.37)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    Philander Smith has 2 pts more first-gen students than Virginia Union (43% vs. 41%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Virginia Union graduates 2 pts more of its students than Philander Smith (41% vs. 39%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Virginia Union has 1 pts more Pell recipients than Philander Smith (69% vs. 68%)

    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

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Virginia Union admits 98%; Philander Smith doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Virginia Union98%
Philander SmithNot reported
Quad's selectivity
  • Virginia UnionOpen
  • Philander SmithNot rated
SAT middle 50%Axis 700–1600
Virginia Union
850–885
Philander SmithNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Virginia UnionGPA and school record required
  • Philander SmithNot reported

Who's on each campus

Virginia Union has 1.6× as many undergrads as Philander Smith and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Virginia Union1.2K
Philander Smith751
Pell Grant share
Virginia Union69%
Philander Smith68%

Majors and faculty

Criminology leads at Virginia Union, and Business Administration and Management at Philander Smith.

Students per faculty member
Virginia Union16 to 1
Philander Smith11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Virginia UnionCriminology16%
  • Philander SmithBusiness Administration and Management, General30%

What each costs

Virginia Union and Philander Smith cost about the same a year on average; Virginia Union's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Virginia Union$14.1K
Philander Smith$14.4K
Aid generosity
Virginia Union52%
Philander Smith49%

What each pays off

Philander Smith's former students earn more, a median $38.4K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 41% at Virginia Union to 39% at Philander Smith.

Median earnings, 10 years
Virginia Union$38.3K
Philander Smith$38.4K
Graduation rate
Virginia Union41%
Philander Smith39%

How each has changed

Applications fell at Virginia Union, which got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Virginia UnionShrinking−72%
  • Philander SmithNot reported
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 2018About 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