Penn State Berks vs. CNU

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

Penn State Berks CNU
Location Reading, PA Newport News, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 2,077 4,559
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #390
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cnu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks CNU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $9,375
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $22,613
Room & Board $14,334 $11,990
Avg Net Price $21,728 $23,287
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $8,022
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 66%

Admission

Penn State Berks CNU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 7,428
Admitted 5,453 6,340
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 85.4%
Enrolled % 11.6% 18.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.79
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 22/29
SAT Range 1090/1290 1100/1290
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Penn State Berks CNU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks CNU
Graduation Rate 55% 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 Berks CNU
% Men 59% 46%
% Women 41% 54%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 74%
% Black 9% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 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 Berks CNU
% In-State 64% 91%
% Out-of-State 30% 6%

Campus

Penn State Berks 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 Berks based on total student enrollment (4,559 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. CNU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Berks is 64.1% more expensive to attend than CNU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $9,375.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.3% higher at Penn State Berks than Christopher Newport University ($25,854.00 vs. $22,613.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than CNU ($21,728 vs. $23,287)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Christopher Newport University are 19.5% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($11,990 vs. $14,334)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks as Christopher Newport University (66% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Berks students is 6.3% larger than aid received Christopher Newport University ($8,528 vs. $8,022)

Penn State Berks vs. CNU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christopher Newport University (1155) is 177 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming CNU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman CNU students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than CNU (85.4%)

Penn State Berks vs. CNU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks 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 Berks.

  • The graduation rate at CNU is higher than Penn State Berks (63% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks 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 Berks graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • CNU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More CNU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks 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/