Houston vs Virginia - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Houston accepts most of the applications it receives (73.9%), while Virginia turns away the overwhelming majority (16.8%).
Virginia reports no financial aid for international students, while Houston awards them $4,456 on average. For an applicant from outside the US that is usually the most important difference on this page.
On paper the cheaper option is Houston: $27,926 against $62,923, which is $34,997 less a year.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Virginia: $87K against $62K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Virginia is the more selective of the two (16.81% vs 73.92% acceptance). Virginia graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($87K vs $62K). Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $62,923 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Houston for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Virginia for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Virginia is more selective (16.81% vs 73.92% acceptance); Virginia has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1240).
Virginia graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($87K vs $62K); Virginia has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.6% vs 64.6%).
Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $62,923); Virginia offers a larger average aid package ($37,123 vs $16,450).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Houston | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #201-300 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 73.92% | 16.81% |
| Yield rate | 26.5% | 40% |
| Median SAT | 1240 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.49 | - |
| Number of applications | 31,716 | 58,951 |
| International students | 5.7% | 4.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $62K | $87K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $39K | $59K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $93K | $130K |
| Graduation rate | 64.6% | 95.6% |
| Retention rate | 87% | 97.9% |
| Median debt | $18,194 | $17,500 |
| Tuition · year | $27,926 | $62,923 |
| Avg. aid package | $16,450 | $37,123 |
| % of need met | 55.1% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $21,819 | $25,137 |
| Application fee | $75 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 47,980 | 26,470 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Houston or Virginia?
It's harder to get into Virginia. Houston accepts 73.92% of applicants, while Virginia accepts 16.81%.
Do Houston or Virginia graduates earn more?
Virginia graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $87K vs $62K.
How much is tuition at Houston vs Virginia?
Sticker-price tuition is $27,926 per year at Houston and $62,923 per year at Virginia.
What SAT score do you need for Houston or Virginia?
The median admitted SAT score is 1240 at Houston and 1470 at Virginia; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Houston or Virginia?
The average aid package is $16,450 at Houston and $37,123 at Virginia.
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