Penn State vs. Villanova

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

 Penn State Villanova
Location University Park, PA Villanova, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 50,028 10,383
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #66
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu villanova.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Villanova
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $60,768
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $60,768
Room & Board $12,744 $16,087
Avg Net Price $26,747 $34,837
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $42,834
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 52%

Admission

 Penn State Villanova
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 23,835
Admitted 47,360 5,576
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 23.4%
Enrolled % 19.5% 31.9%
Avg High School GPA - 3.87
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 26/31 32/34
SAT Range 1210/1390 1378/1500
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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Villanova
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Villanova
Graduation Rate 87% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $85,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,497
Median Loan Payment $277 $273

Diversity

 Penn State Villanova
% Men 53% 46%
% Women 47% 54%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 74%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Villanova
% In-State 51% 18%
% Out-of-State 40% 78%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Villanova based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 10,383 students)

Penn State vs. Villanova Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Villanova?

  • Villanova University is 230.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,768.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 69.1% higher at Villanova than Penn State Main Campus ($60,768.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Villanova ($26,747 vs. $34,837)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.2% lower than costs at Villanova University ($12,744 vs. $16,087)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Villanova University than Penn State Main Campus (52% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Villanova University students is 325.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($42,834 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Villanova Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Villanova University (1326) is 124 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Villanova 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 Villanova (23.4%)

Penn State vs. Villanova Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Villanova is higher than Penn State Main Campus (90% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Villanova University earn on average $29,800 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($85,100 vs. $55,300)
  • Villanova University students graduate with a $321 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,497 vs. $26,818)
  • Villanova graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($273 vs. $277)
  • More Villanova graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 69%)

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