Virginia vs Houston - 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 Virginia for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
Choose Houston for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
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 | Virginia | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #201-300 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 16.81% | 73.92% |
| Yield rate | 40% | 26.5% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1240 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.49 |
| Number of applications | 58,951 | 31,716 |
| International students | 4.9% | 5.7% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $87K | $62K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $59K | $39K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $130K | $93K |
| Graduation rate | 95.6% | 64.6% |
| Retention rate | 97.9% | 87% |
| Median debt | $17,500 | $18,194 |
| Tuition · year | $62,923 | $27,926 |
| Avg. aid package | $37,123 | $16,450 |
| % of need met | 100% | 55.1% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $25,137 | $21,819 |
| Application fee | $75 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 26,470 | 47,980 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Virginia or Houston?
It's harder to get into Virginia. Virginia accepts 16.81% of applicants, while Houston accepts 73.92%.
Do Virginia or Houston graduates earn more?
Virginia graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $87K vs $62K.
How much is tuition at Virginia vs Houston?
Sticker-price tuition is $62,923 per year at Virginia and $27,926 per year at Houston.
What SAT score do you need for Virginia or Houston?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Virginia and 1240 at Houston; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Virginia or Houston?
The average aid package is $37,123 at Virginia and $16,450 at Houston.
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