Penn State vs. Virginia Tech

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or Virginia Tech? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Virginia Tech 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

JMU UD NC State Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass Purdue Clemson UofSC UVA UB
Penn State Main Campus vs. Virginia Tech comparison
Penn State Main Campus Virginia Tech College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus Virginia Tech
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Virginia Tech
Location University Park, PA Blacksburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,399 38,294
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #145
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Virginia Tech
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $12,698
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $33,310
Room & Board $13,030 $14,888
Avg Net Price $27,450 $22,205
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $8,542
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 55%

Admission

 Penn State Virginia Tech
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 47,208
Admitted 46,605 26,923
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 57%
Enrolled % 19.4% 26.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.97
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 27/32
SAT Range 1220/1400 1240/1420
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, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Virginia Tech
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Virginia Tech
Graduation Rate 87% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,966
Median Loan Payment $277 $247

Diversity

 Penn State Virginia Tech
% Men 8% 11%
% Women 8% 9%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 68%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 Penn State Virginia Tech
% In-State 51% 61%
% Out-of-State 40% 33%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Virginia Tech based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 38,294 students)

Penn State vs. Virginia Tech Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Virginia Tech?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 54.9% more expensive to attend than Virginia Tech for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $12,698.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19% higher at Penn State than Virginia Tech ($39,626.00 vs. $33,310.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Tech than Penn State ($22,205 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 14.3% lower than costs at Virginia Tech ($13,030 vs. $14,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Tech than Penn State Main Campus (55% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 35.5% larger than aid received Virginia Tech ($11,577 vs. $8,542)

Penn State vs. Virginia Tech Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Tech (1210) is 8 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Virginia Tech has a higher acceptance rate (57%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Penn State vs. Virginia Tech Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Virginia Tech? 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 Virginia Tech and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Virginia Tech (87% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Tech earn on average $9,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Virginia Tech students graduate with a $2,852 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,966 vs. $26,818)
  • Virginia Tech graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($247 vs. $277)
  • More Virginia Tech graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 69%)

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