Penn State vs. VWC

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Virginia Wesleyan University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Main Campus
Virginia Wesleyan University

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • VWC Virginia Beach, VA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • VWC Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • VWC 1,853
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • VWC Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • VWC #684
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • VWC United Methodist
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • VWC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • VWC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • VWC $37,500
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • VWC $37,500
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • VWC $11,930
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • VWC $21,267
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • VWC $29,923
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • VWC 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • VWC 3,808
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • VWC 2,775
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • VWC 72.9%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • VWC 11.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • VWC 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • VWC 28
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • VWC 3.39
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • VWC B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • VWC Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • VWC Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • VWC 28/29
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • VWC 1140/1350
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • VWC Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • VWC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • VWC 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • VWC
    • Business (16%)
    • Social Sciences (14%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Education (8%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • VWC 47%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • VWC 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • VWC High
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • VWC No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • VWC 54%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • VWC 1%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • VWC 24%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • VWC 8%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • VWC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • VWC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • VWC 5%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • VWC 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • VWC 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • VWC 72%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • VWC 25%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • VWC Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • VWC No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • VWC Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • VWC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • VWC No

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than VWC based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 1,853 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Virginia Wesleyan University is in Virginia Beach, VA (Large City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Virginia Wesleyan University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Virginia Wesleyan University 15:1.

Penn State vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or VWC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Wesleyan University than Penn State ($21,267 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan University are 17.6% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($11,930 vs. $14,474).
  • Virginia Wesleyan University is 81.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $16,856 more per year; $37,500.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 11.4% higher at Penn State than at Virginia Wesleyan University (about $4,290 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $37,500.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan University than at Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan University students is 164% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($29,923 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. VWC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or VWC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between VWC and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 80 points higher than at VWC (1250).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 28 at VWC).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Virginia Wesleyan University 1140/1350.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; Virginia Wesleyan University 28/29.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; VWC - Test optional.
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (72.9%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 11.9% at VWC.

Penn State vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and VWC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Virginia Wesleyan University's (48%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $13,600 more per year than VWC graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $41,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than VWC graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, Penn State graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.