Virginia Military Institute
Location and Contact Information
Lexington, VA 24450-0304USA
Main Tel: (540) 464-7207
Web Site
The campus is in a town not particularly near any major cities.
Overview
The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is the oldest state-supported military college and one of the six senior military colleges in the United State. It was established on November 11, 1839 in Lexington, Virginia. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the VMI is spread across 134 acres of land. Academic Programs in VMI can be categorized into four areas including Engineering, Liberal Arts, Science and Leadership.
In the year 2009, VMI has been ranked third after the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy, in the US News and World Report rankings of the 27 top public liberal arts colleges in the United States. The college is known by its nickname ‘keydets’ and involves its students in various activities which includes varsity sports like baseball, basketball, football and the likes.
Some of the notable alumni of VMI include Richard Thomas Walker Duke, colonel in the Confederate States Army; Reuben Lindsay Walker, Confederate Army brigadier general; Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, A founder of the Pony Express.
Highlights (vs. Other Schools)
- Many students concentrating in engineering, liberal arts, and science.
- Number of dorm rooms for students.
- High male/female ratio.
- Large number of students.
- Unusually high availability of athletic financial aid.
- Good faculty-to-student ratio.
- High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
- Large number of programs of study offered.
- High faculty salary.
- High SAT scores (combined Verbal and Math).
- Affordable tuition & fees.
- Superior share of faculty on tenure track.
School characteristics:
- The school is public.
- Academic calender: Semester.
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges, Liberal Arts.
Features of note:
- The school offers a faculty tenure system.
- There are one or more libraries on-campus.
- Campus housing is available.
- Students have meal (board) plans.
- Students may study abroad.
- ROTC.
- Athlete financial aid is awarded.
Tuition and Financial Aid (2009-2010)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State Tuition and fees | $ 11,190 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 28,738 |
| Room | $ 2,034 |
| Board | $ 4,758 |
| Books and supplies | $ 775 |
| Other | $ 1,900 |
Financial Aid
Virginia Military Institute participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.
In 2009-2010, 81% of students received financial aid of some sort.
| Grants | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Any Grant | 72% | $16,079 |
| Institutional Grant | 68% | $7,941 |
| Federal Grant | 39% | $14,155 |
| Pell Grant | 14% | $3,505 |
| Other Federal Grant | 37% | $13,655 |
| State or Local Grant | 14% | $4,835 |
| Loans | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Student Loan | 41% | $5,680 |
| Federal Loan | 40% | $4,546 |
| Other Loan | 3% | $15,441 |
(Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.)
Similar Schools
Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Virginia Military Institute:
Click a column header to sort.
| School | Location | Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN | 1,923 |
| 2 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, WI | 2,621 |
| 3 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | Kings Point, NY | 986 |
| 4 | Maine Maritime Academy | Castine, ME | 893 |
| 5 | United States Coast Guard Academy | New London, CT | 975 |
| 6 | Union College | Schenectady, NY | 2,240 |
| 7 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City, SD | 2,061 |
| 8 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA | 4,556 |
| 9 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA | 2,382 |
| 10 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay, MA | 1,166 |
Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)
| Degree | Total Earned | Different Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | 290 | 14 |
Faculty
Tenure (2009-2010):
| Full-Time Faculty | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| With tenure | 69 | |
| Without tenure; working toward tenure | 33 | |
| Without tenure; tenure not available | 19 |
Students
Student enrollment was 1,428 in 2009-2010 (1,634 full-time equivalent).
About 90% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 10% of the class.
Undergrads are 100% of enrolled students.
Students under 25 years old represent 100% of the student body.
Admissions Summary (2009-2010)
Applicants Admitted Men 54% Women 59% All 54%
SAT Test Scores:
SAT Middle 50% Verbal 520-610 Math 530-610 Writing 480-580
Room and Board
Virginia Military Institute provides on-campus housing for 1,538 of its 1,634 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.
Students may purchase a meal plan which includes 21 meals weekly.
Athletics
School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Big South Conference for major sports.
The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 151 male students received the aid (men were 86% of those receiving aid) and 25 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 14% of students receiving such aid) .
International Study
About 2% of freshmen are from countries other than the US.
International applicants are required to take the TOEFL exam.
Graduate School Focus
The highest degree offered is the Bachelor.
Programs of Study
(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Computer Science
ENGINEERING
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
LIBERAL ARTS
- Economics
- English Language and Literature
- Foreign Languages and Literatures
- History
- International Relations and Affairs
MATHEMATICS
- Applied Mathematics
SCIENCE
- Biology/Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Physics
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
- Psychology