- Acceptance rate: 71% for fall 2024
- Average high school GPA: 3.6, as reported by the college for 2025–26
- SAT, middle 50%: 550–630 reading and writing, 500–640 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 24–31 composite
- Average net price: $17,229 a year (2022–23)
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How does your GPA compare?
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Where you standEnter your GPA
Type your GPA to compare it with what Virginia Military Institute reported: an average GPA of 3.6 (2025–26), an acceptance rate of 71% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 24–31.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Virginia Military Institute reviews each application.
Virginia Military Institute average GPA
Virginia Military Institute reported an average high school GPA of 3.6 for its first-year students who submitted one (99% did), in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.
An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so this figure can't be compared directly with your own GPA.
Virginia Military Institute acceptance rate
Virginia Military Institute admitted 1,472 of 2,066 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 71%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Virginia Military Institute is a public 4-year college in Lexington, Virginia, with 1,527 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Virginia Military Institute in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 550 | 590 | 630 |
| SAT Math | 500 | 590 | 640 |
| ACT Composite | 24 | 28 | 31 |
| ACT English | 22 | 24 | 27 |
| ACT Math | 23 | 26 | 29 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1244 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Virginia Military Institute looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Required |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Required |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Considered if submitted |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Not considered |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Not considered |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Not considered |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Virginia Military Institute awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It doesn't award credit for life experience.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $17,229 a year at Virginia Military Institute in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Is Virginia Military Institute hard to get into?
It's moderately accessible: more than half of applicants got in. Virginia Military Institute admitted 71% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Can a 3.5 GPA get you into Virginia Military Institute?
GPA alone can't tell you here. Virginia Military Institute admitted 71% of first-year applicants for fall 2024. It requires a high school GPA but hasn't published an average we could verify, so there's no admitted-student GPA to compare a 3.5 against. Your transcript and test scores are the clearer guide.
How important is GPA for getting into Virginia Military Institute?
A lot: Virginia Military Institute requires high school GPA, high school record, college preparatory program and recommendations. It considers high school class rank, essay or personal statement and test scores if you send them. It doesn't consider other tests, demonstration of competencies, work experience and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
What GPA do you need to get into Virginia Military Institute?
Virginia Military Institute doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.6, as reported by the college in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.
How many applicants get into Virginia Military Institute?
Virginia Military Institute's acceptance rate was 71% for fall 2024: it admitted 1,472 of 2,066 first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education.
Do you need SAT or ACT scores to apply to Virginia Military Institute?
No. Virginia Military Institute is test optional: it considers SAT or ACT scores if you send them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 4% sent SAT scores and 3% sent ACT scores.
What SAT and ACT scores do Virginia Military Institute students have?
The middle 50% of Virginia Military Institute's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 550–630 in reading and writing and 500–640 in math; ACT composite 24–31, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
Can you get college credit for AP scores at Virginia Military Institute?
Yes. Virginia Military Institute awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
How much does Virginia Military Institute cost after financial aid?
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $17,229 a year at Virginia Military Institute in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Does it matter at Virginia Military Institute if a parent went there?
No. Virginia Military Institute doesn't consider whether a parent or other relative attended, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Before you apply, check Virginia Military Institute's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Virginia Military InstituteU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- Virginia Military Institute Common Data Set 2025–26Virginia Military Institute: average high school GPA of first-year students.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
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