Penn State vs. UVA

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or University of Virginia Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or UVA 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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Penn State Main Campus vs. University of Virginia Main Campus comparison
Penn State Main Campus University of Virginia Main Campus College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus University of Virginia Main Campus
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Overview

 Penn State UVA
Location University Park, PA Charlottesville, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,028 26,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #59
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu virginia.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State UVA
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $16,980
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $51,870
Room & Board $12,744 $12,890
Avg Net Price $26,747 $19,469
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $26,818
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 34%

Admission

 Penn State UVA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 50,926
Admitted 47,360 9,503
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 18.7%
Enrolled % 19.5% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.85
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 26/31 32/34
SAT Range 1210/1390 1400/1540
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State UVA
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State UVA
Graduation Rate 87% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $201

Diversity

 Penn State UVA
% Men 53% 45%
% Women 47% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 60%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 11% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 Penn State UVA
% In-State 51% 62%
% Out-of-State 40% 33%

Campus

 Penn State UVA
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UVA based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 26,082 students)

Penn State vs. UVA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or UVA?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 8.2% more expensive to attend than UVA for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.3% higher at UVA than Penn State Main Campus ($51,870.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Virginia Main Campus than Penn State ($19,469 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.1% lower than costs at University of Virginia Main Campus ($12,744 vs. $12,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than University of Virginia Main Campus (44% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Virginia Main Campus students is 166.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($26,818 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. UVA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Virginia Main Campus (1364) is 162 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UVA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UVA (18.7%)

Penn State vs. UVA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or UVA? 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 UVA and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at UVA is higher than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from University of Virginia Main Campus earn on average $21,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Virginia Main Campus students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • UVA graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More UVA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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