Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Virginia Military Institute Featured Rankings
About Virginia Military Institute
According to Wikipedia, The Virginia Military Institute is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the United States. In keeping with its founding principles and unlike any other senior military college in the United States, VMI enrolls cadets only and awards bachelor's degrees exclusively. The institute grants degrees in 14 disciplines in engineering, science, and the liberal arts.
Virginia Military Institute Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,171 | 71% | 81% | 72% | 1160 | 27 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Virginia Military Institute Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $21,366 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,028 |
| 30K - 48K | $4,645 |
| 48K - 75K | $5,212 |
| 75K - 110K | $7,336 |
| 110K+ | $27,249 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Virginia Military Institute Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Virginia Military Institute students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $85,178 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Virginia Military Institute's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,589 | 1,589 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Virginia Military Institute?
Virginia Military Institute is located at Lexington, VA 24450-0304.
How Safe is Virginia Military Institute?
Virginia Military Institute reported 1.3 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most small residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Virginia Military Institute has a violent crime rate of 0.13% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Lexington has a violent crime rate of 0.14% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.46%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Virginia Military Institute Known For?
Virginia Military Institute is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- History
- Political Science
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Physics
- Biology
- Economics
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Psychology
Virginia Military Institute's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Virginia Military Institute's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Virginia Military Institute ranks #170 in the U.S. and #481 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #178 in the U.S. and #690 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #185 in the U.S. and #975 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #220 in the U.S. and #874 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #285 in the U.S. and #841 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #325 in the U.S. and #1430 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #347 in the U.S. and #1409 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #347 in the U.S. and #2031 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #347 in the U.S. and #1223 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #399 in the U.S. and #2035 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #406 in the U.S. and #1881 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesVirginia Military Institute ranks #464 in the U.S. and #1189 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are Virginia Military Institute's Most Influential Alumni?
Virginia Military Institute's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Earth Sciences, and Law. Here are some of Virginia Military Institute's most famous alumni:
- Richard E. Byrd
- An American naval officer, explorer .
- George S. Patton
- A United States Army general .
- Mel Brooks
- An American actor, comedian and filmmaker .
- Spencer C. Tucker
- A Military historian.
- William Mahone
- An American civil war general and politician .
- Chesty Puller
- A United States Marine Corps general .
- John E. Wool
- A Union United States Army general.
- George C. Marshall
- An American army officer and statesman .
- Shu-Park Chan
- An American engineer.
- Zachary Taylor
- A President of the United States from 1849 to 1850.
- Josiah Bunting III
- A US Army officer.
- Roland Lazenby
- An American sportswriter.
