Penn State vs. VCU

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

 Penn State VCU
Location University Park, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 50,028 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State VCU
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $33,726
Room & Board $12,744 $12,279
Avg Net Price $26,747 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 83%

Admission

 Penn State VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 18,242
Admitted 47,360 16,600
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 91%
Enrolled % 19.5% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 22/30
SAT Range 1210/1390 1030/1290
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 18, 2025

Academics

 Penn State VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State VCU
Graduation Rate 87% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

 Penn State VCU
% Men 53% 36%
% Women 47% 64%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 50%
% Black 4% 18%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 11% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State VCU
% In-State 51% 92%
% Out-of-State 40% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than VCU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 28,082 students)

Penn State vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or VCU?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 47.4% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.6% higher at Penn State than Virginia Commonwealth University ($35,946.00 vs. $33,726.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State ($21,294 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 3.8% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,279 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Main Campus (83% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 25% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($12,583 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 105 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at VCU (24)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (87% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $7,800 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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