Penn State Beaver vs. VCU

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

 Penn State Beaver VCU
Location Monaca, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 504 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Beaver VCU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $34,744
Room & Board $12,852 $16,119
Avg Net Price $19,329 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $8,820 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 84% 99%

Admission

 Penn State Beaver VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,603 19,052
Admitted 1,478 17,729
Acceptance Rate 92.2% 93.1%
Enrolled % 11.2% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/26 22/30
SAT Range 1050/1320 1030/1270
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 Beaver VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Beaver VCU
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Beaver VCU
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 2% 17%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 75% 50%
% Black 9% 18%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 3% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Beaver VCU
% In-State 63% 92%
% Out-of-State 34% 6%

Campus

 Penn State Beaver VCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes 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 Beaver based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 504 students)

Penn State Beaver vs. VCU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Beaver is 7.6% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $12,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49% higher at VCU than Penn State Beaver ($34,744.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than VCU ($19,329 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 25.4% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($12,852 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Beaver (99% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 41% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($12,433 vs. $8,820)

Penn State Beaver vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 98 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than Penn State Beaver (92.2%)

Penn State Beaver vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Penn State Beaver (53% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver 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/