Temple vs Virginia - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
These are two different admissions games: Virginia admits 16.8% of applications, Temple admits 80.5%.
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Temple reports aid for international students ($16,607 on average), Virginia does not.
The cheaper tuition belongs to Temple: $40,144 against $62,923, or $22,779 less a year.
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Virginia: $87K against $64K.
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 80.45% acceptance). Virginia ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#401-500 vs #201-300). Virginia graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($87K vs $64K). Temple has lower sticker-price tuition ($40,144 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 Temple for: lower tuition.
Choose Virginia for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Virginia is more selective (16.81% vs 80.45% acceptance); Virginia has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1250).
Virginia graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($87K vs $64K); Virginia has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.6% vs 75%).
Temple has lower sticker-price tuition ($40,144 vs $62,923); Virginia offers a larger average aid package ($37,123 vs $17,833).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Temple | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #401-500 | #201-300 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 80.45% | 16.81% |
| Yield rate | 15% | 40% |
| Median SAT | 1250 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.42 | - |
| Number of applications | 40,817 | 58,951 |
| International students | 4.4% | 4.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $64K | $87K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $41K | $59K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $92K | $130K |
| Graduation rate | 75% | 95.6% |
| Retention rate | 83% | 97.9% |
| Median debt | $24,395 | $17,500 |
| Tuition · year | $40,144 | $62,923 |
| Avg. aid package | $17,833 | $37,123 |
| % of need met | 60.5% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $41,808 | $25,137 |
| Application fee | $55 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 29,637 | 26,470 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Temple or Virginia?
It's harder to get into Virginia. Temple accepts 80.45% of applicants, while Virginia accepts 16.81%.
Do Temple or Virginia graduates earn more?
Virginia graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $87K vs $64K.
How much is tuition at Temple vs Virginia?
Sticker-price tuition is $40,144 per year at Temple and $62,923 per year at Virginia.
What SAT score do you need for Temple or Virginia?
The median admitted SAT score is 1250 at Temple and 1470 at Virginia; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Temple or Virginia?
Virginia ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #401-500 for Temple vs #201-300 for Virginia.
Which university offers more financial aid - Temple or Virginia?
The average aid package is $17,833 at Temple and $37,123 at Virginia.
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