Quad

Head-to-head

U. Washington
Virginia Commonwealth

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Washington grads earn $20.3K more ten years out than Virginia Commonwealth's ($78,466 vs. $58,128)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Virginia Commonwealth has 3.8× as many undergrads as U. Washington

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    U. Washington graduates 11 pts more of its students than Virginia Commonwealth (80% vs. 69%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    Virginia Commonwealth's grants cover 30% of its full price on average, vs. 20% at U. Washington

    Aid generosity
  5. 5

    U. Washington has 5 pts more first-gen students than Virginia Commonwealth (33% vs. 28%)

    First-generation students
  6. 6

    Virginia Commonwealth has 3 pts more Pell recipients than U. Washington (31% vs. 29%)

    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

U. Washington admits 91%, Virginia Commonwealth 93%; U. Washington's yield is higher, at 24%.

Acceptance rate
U. Washington91%
Virginia Commonwealth93%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. WashingtonAccessible
  • Virginia CommonwealthOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
U. WashingtonNot reported
Virginia Commonwealth
1010–1270
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. WashingtonGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Virginia CommonwealthGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Virginia Commonwealth has 3.8× as many undergrads as U. Washington and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Washington5.5K
Virginia Commonwealth20.8K
Pell Grant share
U. Washington29%
Virginia Commonwealth31%

Majors and faculty

Computer Science leads at U. Washington, and Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth; Virginia Commonwealth has 17 students per faculty member to U. Washington's 22.

Students per faculty member
U. Washington22 to 1
Virginia Commonwealth17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. WashingtonComputer Science15%
  • Virginia CommonwealthPsychology, General11%

What each costs

U. Washington and Virginia Commonwealth cost about the same a year on average; Virginia Commonwealth's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Washington$28.8K
Virginia Commonwealth$29.5K
Aid generosity
U. Washington20%
Virginia Commonwealth30%

What each pays off

U. Washington's former students earn more, a median $78.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Washington$78.5K
Virginia Commonwealth$58.1K
Graduation rate
U. Washington80%
Virginia Commonwealth69%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. WashingtonGrowing+116%
  • Virginia CommonwealthGrowing+52%
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