Which is harder to get into: Virginia Tech or University of Richmond?

University of Richmond is generally considered harder to get into than Virginia Tech. Richmond is a smaller private university with a more selective applicant pool and a more limited class size, so admissions there tend to be tougher overall. Virginia Tech is also a strong and respected school, but it enrolls a much larger undergraduate class and is usually seen as less selective in the broad, overall sense.

That said, the comparison depends a bit on the student. A student applying to competitive majors at Virginia Tech, especially engineering or certain STEM programs, can still face a very demanding admissions process. For someone with a technical profile who is targeting those programs, Virginia Tech may not feel easy at all, even if the university as a whole is less selective than Richmond.

Richmond tends to attract students looking for a smaller, more intimate liberal arts environment with strong academics and close faculty access. Because of that size and positioning, it often has less room to admit students and can be tougher simply from a selectivity standpoint. Students who are competitive for Richmond usually need a very polished overall application, not just solid grades.

Virginia Tech fits students who want a larger public university experience, broader program offerings, and big school energy. Its admissions process is still serious, but in most general conversations about selectivity, Richmond is the tougher admit.