PennWest Clarion vs. VSU

Should I go to PennWest Clarion or Virginia State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest Clarion or VSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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PennWest Clarion vs. Virginia State University comparison
PennWest Clarion Virginia State University College 3 College 4
Virginia State University
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Overview

PennWest Clarion VSU
Location Clarion, PA Petersburg, VA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,922 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest Clarion VSU
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $16,542
Room & Board $12,930 $11,544
Avg Net Price - $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $0 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 92%

Admission

PennWest Clarion VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 8,230
Admitted - 7,384
Acceptance Rate 89.7%
Enrolled % 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/17
SAT Range 830/1030
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

PennWest Clarion VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

PennWest Clarion VSU
Graduation Rate 49% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $305

Diversity

PennWest Clarion VSU
% Men 28% 40%
% Women 72% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 83% 3%
% Black 8% 87%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

PennWest Clarion VSU
% In-State 94% 72%
% Out-of-State 5% 27%

Campus

PennWest Clarion VSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than PennWest Clarion based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 3,922 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or VSU?

  • PennWest Clarion is 39.3% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 42.9% higher at VSU than PennWest Clarion ($16,542.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 12% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($11,544 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than PennWest Clarion (92% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($11,498 vs. $0)

Which college is harder to get into, PennWest Clarion or VSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VSU or PennWest Clarion .

  • The average SAT score at PennWest Clarion (934) is 77 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming PennWest Clarion students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.65 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at VSU (2.85)

PennWest Clarion vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or VSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VSU and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest Clarion is higher than Virginia State University (49% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from PennWest Clarion earn on average $2,500 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($39,200 vs. $36,700)
  • PennWest Clarion students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($26,000 vs. $29,500)
  • PennWest Clarion graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($268 vs. $305)
  • More PennWest Clarion graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/