Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of South Carolina Aiken, Virginia Military Institute, Florida Polytechnic University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | South Carolina AikenAiken, SC | Virginia MilitaryLexington, VA | Florida PolytechnicLakeland, FL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 78.5% | 71.3% | 57.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 980–1220 | 1050–1270 | 1170–1340 |
| Average net price | $11,64139.2% on Pell grants | $17,11316.5% on Pell grants | $11,85332.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,760 in-state · $21,218 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $21,046 in-state · $52,638 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $4,940 in-state · $21,005 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.9% | 76.2% | 54.9% |
| First-year retention | 66.8% | 81.0% | 74.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 39.2% | 16.5% | 32.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $45,603 | $77,369 | Not reportedNot reported by Florida Polytechnic University in the most recent federal collection. |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,275 | $22,996 | $14,250 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 10:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,962 | 1,527 | 1,689 |
| Consensus percentile | 31Lower is better | 31Lower is better | 31Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 34 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 46 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 59 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | South Carolina Aiken | Virginia Military | Florida Polytechnic |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #65 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #59 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #2 of 131Regional colleges (South)Regional Colleges (South) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #306 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #285 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #357 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #397 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1589 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing University of South Carolina Aiken on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Virginia Military Institute on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Florida Polytechnic University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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