Penn State Abington vs. VCU

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

 Penn State Abington VCU
Location Abington, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 3,090 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #694 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Abington VCU
Tuition (In State) $14,684 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $24,586 $33,726
Room & Board $10,694 $12,279
Avg Net Price $20,460 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $9,589 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 83%

Admission

 Penn State Abington VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,463 18,242
Admitted 6,037 16,600
Acceptance Rate 93.4% 91%
Enrolled % 14.7% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/31 22/30
SAT Range 1070/1310 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 Abington VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Abington VCU
Graduation Rate 44% 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 Abington VCU
% Men 59% 36%
% Women 41% 64%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 50%
% Black 13% 18%
% Hispanic 10% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Penn State Abington VCU
% In-State 68% 92%
% Out-of-State 21% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 3,090 students)

Penn State Abington vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Abington or VCU?

  • Penn State Abington is 17.9% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.2% higher at VCU than Penn State Abington ($33,726.00 vs. $24,586.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than VCU ($20,460 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 14.8% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($10,694 vs. $12,279)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Abington (83% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 31.2% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($12,583 vs. $9,589)

Penn State Abington vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 122 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than VCU (91%)

Penn State Abington vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Abington 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 Abington.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Penn State Abington (53% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington 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 Abington graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Abington 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/