Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA 24450-0304
About Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute is a public four-year university in Lexington, Virginia, enrolling about 1,527 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 71.25% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $77,369 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Virginia Military Institute charges about 3.8× the national public median tuition ($21,046).
- Versus the Virginia median, sticker tuition is 29% above.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 76.21%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $77,369.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Virginia Military Institute is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 1030% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Military Institute | $21,046 | $17,113 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Virginia (state median) | $16,364 | $8,852 | 107 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 19% below published tuition at Virginia Military Institute
Key findings
- Virginia Military Institute's average net price ($17,113) is 19% below published tuition ($21,046).
- Virginia Military Institute charges about 3.8× the national public median tuition ($21,046).
- Versus the Virginia median, sticker tuition is 29% above.
Virginia Military Institute tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $21,046
Finding Virginia Military Institute charges about 3.8× the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $21,046. That is about 3.8× the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Virginia median ($16,364), sticker tuition is 29% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 1.8×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Virginia Military Institute versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Virginia Military Institute versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Virginia Military Institute is $17,113.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $17,113 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $8,261 above the Virginia median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $2,142 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Virginia Military Institute’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 19% lower after grants and scholarships.
Virginia Military Institute: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Virginia Military Institute—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
In-state tuition
$21,046
Out-of-state tuition
$52,638
Avg. net price
$17,113
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $12,697 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $9,246 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $12,162 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $13,385 |
| $110,001+ | $23,434 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $84,184. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Virginia Military Institute is known for
Top program completions
- International Relations and Affairs55
- Economics, General46
- History, General45
- Psychology, General43
- Civil Engineering, General40
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 49% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1244
- Midpoint ACT: 25
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Virginia Military Institute a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Virginia Military Institute is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Virginia Military Institute.
Campus
Location
Lexington, VA
City / state
- ZIP
- 24450-0304
- NCES locale
- Town distant
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 14% above the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Size
Enrollment
1,527
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,569
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$22,996
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 16.47%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Virginia Military Institute.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Virginia Military Institute was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Virginia Military Institute in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $14,404 | $35,392 | $17,802 |
| 2014 | $15,518 | $37,574 | $17,296 |
| 2015 | $16,536 | $39,550 | $17,687 |
| 2016 | $17,492 | $41,801 | $18,785 |
| 2017 | $18,214 | $43,902 | $19,905 |
| 2018 | $18,862 | $45,706 | $19,129 |
| 2019 | $19,118 | $45,962 | $17,804 |
| 2020 | $19,210 | $47,220 | $22,025 |
| 2021 | $19,670 | $48,324 | $21,325 |
| 2022 | $19,914 | $49,722 | $21,215 |
| 2023 | $20,484 | $51,186 | $18,849 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1244 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 25 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.40
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Virginia Military Institute reported total enrollment of about 1,527 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 86% male and 14% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (69.2%), Hispanic or Latino (10.5%), and Black or African American (7.7%). About 16.47% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 15.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Virginia Military Institute in 2024 is 1,527 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,569 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
81.0%
2024 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.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
68.06% 100% Completion Time
76.21% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 68.06% of students graduating from Virginia Military Institute completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- International Relations and Affairs: 85% male / 15% female
- Economics, General: 93% male / 7% female
- History, General: 96% male / 4% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Virginia Military Institute graduates earn a median of $77,369 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Virginia Military Institute.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $77,369. Median federal loan debt: $22,996. Average net price used in cost models: $17,113.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Virginia Military Institute graduates report median earnings of $77,369 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Virginia Military Institute.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (15 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Virginia Military Institute.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Virginia Military Institute graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Virginia Military Institute—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$715.6M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Virginia median 23× the median ($30.9M)
- Southeast median 37× the median ($19.4M)
- U.S. median 27× the median ($26.4M)
- Virginia median 32× the median ($13,171)
- Southeast median 45× the median ($9,308)
- U.S. median 35× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 100.0%
- Virginia median 39.0 pp above median (61.0%)
- Southeast median 40.6 pp above median (59.4%)
- U.S. median 42.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $9,070
- Virginia median 1.1× the median ($8,196)
- Southeast median 1.3× the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 1.2× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $21,289
- Virginia median 2.9× the median ($7,382)
- Southeast median 3.2× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 2.9× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Virginia Military Institute at a glance
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute is a public institution in Lexington, VA, classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- International Relations and AffairsEconomics, GeneralHistory, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian69.2%Hispanic or Latino10.5%Black or African American7.7%
Schools near Virginia Military Institute
Other campuses in Lexington, VA when available, plus nearby institutions in Virginia.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within Virginia, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Virginia Military Institute located?
Virginia Military Institute is located in Lexington, VA.
What is Virginia Military Institute's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Virginia Military Institute is 71.2% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 1,171 applicants and 957 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Virginia Military Institute's tuition?
Virginia Military Institute tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $21,046 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $17,113 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Virginia Military Institute cost?
Reported tuition is $21,046 and average net price is $17,113 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $11,310 annually.
Why is Virginia Military Institute's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Virginia Military Institute, published tuition is $21,046 while average net price is $17,113—about 19% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Virginia Military Institute's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($17,113), completion (76.2% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($77,369). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Virginia Military Institute?
Virginia Military Institute reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,569 students, White (69.2%), Hispanic or Latino (10.5%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Virginia Military Institute?
About 15.2% of students at Virginia Military Institute are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Virginia Military Institute?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Virginia Military Institute reports midpoint SAT about 1244 and midpoint ACT about 25.
What do graduates of Virginia Military Institute earn?
Median earnings are $63,545 six years after entry and $77,369 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Virginia Military Institute?
The 150%-time completion rate is 76.2% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Virginia Military Institute students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $22,996.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.