Penn State Berks vs. WVU

Should I go to Penn State Berks or West Virginia University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Berks or WVU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Marshall University Penn State Altoona JMU ECU Penn State TU Ohio University WCU Kent State WVSU Kentucky Old Dominion
Penn State Berks vs. West Virginia University comparison
Penn State Berks West Virginia University College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks West Virginia University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Berks WVU
Location Reading, PA Morgantown, WV
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,077 24,741
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #559
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Berks WVU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $9,360
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $26,568
Room & Board $14,334 $11,618
Avg Net Price $21,728 $12,202
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $11,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 94%

Admission

 Penn State Berks WVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 18,206
Admitted 5,453 16,091
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 88.4%
Enrolled % 11.6% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 20/26
SAT Range 1090/1290 1000/1220
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

Academics

 Penn State Berks WVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Berks WVU
Graduation Rate 55% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,001
Median Loan Payment $277 $248

Diversity

 Penn State Berks WVU
% Men 59% 47%
% Women 41% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 81%
% Black 9% 5%
% Hispanic 11% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Berks WVU
% In-State 64% 42%
% Out-of-State 30% 57%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • West Virginia University is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (24,741 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. WVU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Berks is 64.4% more expensive to attend than WVU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $9,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.8% higher at WVU than Penn State Berks ($26,568.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia University than Penn State Berks ($12,202 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia University are 23.4% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($11,618 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia University than Penn State Berks (94% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia University students is 37% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($11,685 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. WVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Virginia University (1078) is 100 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming WVU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman WVU students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than WVU (88.4%)

Penn State Berks vs. WVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or WVU? 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 WVU and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at WVU is higher than Penn State Berks (57% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $4,700 more per year than WVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,600)
  • West Virginia University students graduate with a $2,817 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($24,001 vs. $26,818)
  • WVU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($248 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Berks graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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