Penn State Brandywine vs. VCU

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

Penn State Brandywine VCU
Location Media, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,223 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #766 #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Brandywine VCU
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $24,562 $34,744
Room & Board $13,820 $16,119
Avg Net Price $21,739 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $9,380 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 99%

Admission

Penn State Brandywine VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,461 19,052
Admitted 2,346 17,729
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 93.1%
Enrolled % 18.8% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/29 22/30
SAT Range 1110/1340 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 Brandywine VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Brandywine VCU
Graduation Rate 37% 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 Brandywine VCU
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 50%
% Black 15% 18%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Brandywine VCU
% In-State 74% 92%
% Out-of-State 24% 6%

Campus

Penn State Brandywine 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 Brandywine based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 1,223 students)

Penn State Brandywine vs. VCU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Brandywine is 13.8% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $12,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.5% higher at VCU than Penn State Brandywine ($34,744.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Brandywine than VCU ($21,739 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 16.6% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($13,820 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Brandywine (99% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 32.5% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($12,433 vs. $9,380)

Penn State Brandywine vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 128 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (969)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Brandywine (22)
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than VCU (93.1%)

Penn State Brandywine vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Brandywine 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 Brandywine.

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