Penn State Beaver vs. CNU

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

Penn State Beaver CNU
Location Monaca, PA Newport News, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 504 4,503
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #418
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cnu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Beaver CNU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $10,001
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $24,238
Room & Board $12,852 $12,360
Avg Net Price $19,329 $22,864
Avg Grant Aid $8,820 $9,141
% Receiving Grant Aid 84% 65%

Admission

Penn State Beaver CNU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,603 7,062
Admitted 1,478 6,212
Acceptance Rate 92.2% 88%
Enrolled % 11.2% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.79
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/26 23/29
SAT Range 1050/1320 1100/1300
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Penn State Beaver CNU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)

Outcomes

Penn State Beaver CNU
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

Penn State Beaver CNU
% Men 1% 1%
% Women 2% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 74%
% Black 9% 8%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

Penn State Beaver CNU
% In-State 63% 93%
% Out-of-State 34% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Christopher Newport University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (4,503 students vs. 504 students)

Penn State Beaver vs. CNU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Beaver or CNU?

  • Penn State Beaver is 38.2% more expensive to attend than CNU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $10,001.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at CNU than Penn State Beaver ($24,238.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than CNU ($19,329 vs. $22,864)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Christopher Newport University are 4% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($12,360 vs. $12,852)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than Christopher Newport University (84% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Christopher Newport University students is 3.6% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($9,141 vs. $8,820)

Penn State Beaver vs. CNU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christopher Newport University (1155) is 156 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming CNU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than CNU (88%)

Penn State Beaver vs. CNU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Beaver or CNU? 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 CNU and Penn State Beaver.

  • The graduation rate at CNU is higher than Penn State Beaver (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $8,200 more per year than CNU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,100)
  • Christopher Newport University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • CNU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More CNU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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