Penn State vs. VWC

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

 Penn State VWC
Location University Park, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 50,028 1,538
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #631
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State VWC
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $36,010
Room & Board $12,744 $11,070
Avg Net Price $26,747 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 100%

Admission

 Penn State VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 1,718
Admitted 47,360 1,399
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 81.4%
Enrolled % 19.5% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.39
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 27/29
SAT Range 1210/1390 1190/1365
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 VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State VWC
Graduation Rate 87% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State VWC
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 54%
% Black 4% 24%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 Penn State VWC
% In-State 51% 73%
% Out-of-State 40% 26%

Campus

 Penn State VWC
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 VWC based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,538 students)

Penn State vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or VWC?

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is 96% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($36,010.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at VWC than Penn State Main Campus ($36,010.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Wesleyan College than Penn State ($23,046 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 15.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,070 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan College students is 173.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($27,568 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 220 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at VWC (22)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (81.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (87% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $13,600 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,700)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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