University of Maryland, College Park vs. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Picture yourself walking to class through the Blue Ridge, the same mountains hemming Blacksburg in on every side: that's the daily rhythm at Virginia Tech, a land-grant school that takes Ut Prosim, "That I May Serve," as a working creed. Almost everyone lives on campus, so the town and the school blur into one self-contained world running on football Saturdays and orange-and-maroon pride. You'd study business, engineering, the sciences, or agriculture, and yes, business actually graduates the most students of any field there. Maryland plays a different role on your list. The flagship sits a short ride from Washington, D.C., computing now draws more undergrads than anything else, and the capital tugs graduates straight into software, government, and policy. Both schools enroll about the same crowd, so size won't break the tie. Maryland costs its own residents far less; Virginia Tech runs the lower sticker if you're paying out of state. One catch decides a lot at Maryland: you apply into a major, and computer science runs far tighter than the campus-wide gate. Be honest about how much you want that D.C. computing track before you apply, because clearing the major bar, not the headline rate, is what gets you in.
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Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~1.1× higher admit rate for out-of-state applicants.
Early Action
Maryland offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Maryland is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Maryland's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 24.8% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Maryland does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Maryland weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Maryland's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $29,763 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~1.2× higher admit rate for out-of-state applicants.
Early Action
Virginia Tech offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Virginia Tech is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Virginia Tech does not report this.
Not reported
Admissions Factors
How Virginia Tech weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Virginia Tech's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $21,860 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Maryland vs. Virginia Tech: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into Maryland or Virginia Tech?＋
Maryland is the tougher admit. It takes about 45% of applicants against roughly 54.6% at Virginia Tech, and its admitted class scores higher: a middle-50% SAT of 1410–1520 and ACT of 32–35, where Virginia Tech sits at 1280–1450 and 28–32. Both lean in-state, with only about 35% of Maryland undergraduates and 36% of Virginia Tech's coming from out of state.
Is Maryland or Virginia Tech better for computer science?＋
For computer science, Maryland concentrates harder. Computing ranks as its single most popular field at about 25% of bachelor's degrees, with engineering adding another 11%, a profile that tracks its spot near the D.C. tech corridor. Virginia Tech's degrees lead with business at about 24% and engineering at 20%, and computing sits inside a broader applied-sciences mix rather than at the top. A computing-first undergraduate will find the deeper concentration at Maryland.
Is Maryland or Virginia Tech better for engineering?＋
Engineering carries more weight at Virginia Tech, where it accounts for about 20% of bachelor's degrees, second only to business, and rests on a deep agriculture and applied-sciences base. Maryland puts engineering at about 11% of degrees, trailing computing, business, and the social sciences. Virginia Tech surrounds engineering with a hands-on land-grant tradition, while Maryland pairs it with a top computing program near the capital.
Is Maryland or Virginia Tech cheaper?＋
Residency flips the math. Maryland charges about $12,290 in in-state tuition and fees, below Virginia Tech's roughly $16,450 for Virginia residents, but Virginia Tech undercuts on the out-of-state sticker at about $38,310 against $42,053 at Maryland. Aid lands close, with about 28% of Maryland first-years drawing need-based grants versus 29% at Virginia Tech and average packages near $19,426 and $17,939. Maryland meets more demonstrated need, about 74% on average against 60% at Virginia Tech, so a high-need student can see Maryland's net cost run closer than its out-of-state price suggests.
What are the most popular majors at Maryland vs Virginia Tech?＋
The two peak in different fields. Maryland confers the most degrees in computer and information sciences at about 25%, then business and the social sciences. Virginia Tech leads with business at about 24%, then engineering near 20%, the sciences, the social sciences, and a sizable agriculture block that traces to its land-grant roots. Maryland's catalog leans toward computing and the sciences, while Virginia Tech spreads across business, engineering, and applied fields.
Which is bigger, Maryland or Virginia Tech, and what's the campus like?＋
Size barely separates them: about 31,875 undergraduates at Maryland to Virginia Tech's 31,536, both taught at a 17:1 student-faculty ratio. Setting does the dividing. Maryland sits in College Park just outside Washington, D.C., with the capital in easy reach, while Virginia Tech occupies Blacksburg in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a self-contained college town where nearly all students live on campus. Both hold onto students well, Maryland at 97% first-year retention and an 88% six-year graduation rate against Virginia Tech's 95% and 86%.
Source: University of Maryland, College Park Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Maryland. Banner photo by Blacktupelo, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Source: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Virginia Tech. Banner photo by CBGator87, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).