Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VCU

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

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Location Erie, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 3,295 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #503 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $33,726
Room & Board $12,984 $12,279
Avg Net Price $21,968 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $9,685 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 83%

Admission

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,363 18,242
Admitted 4,164 16,600
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 91%
Enrolled % 19.9% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 22/30
SAT Range 1095/1330 1030/1290
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 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Graduation Rate 66% 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 Erie-Behrend College VCU
% Men 64% 36%
% Women 36% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 50%
% Black 4% 18%
% Hispanic 2% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 9% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
% In-State 74% 92%
% Out-of-State 19% 6%

Campus

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 3,295 students)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or VCU?

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College is 23.5% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.4% higher at VCU than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($33,726.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Erie-Behrend College ($21,294 vs. $21,968)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 5.7% lower than costs at Penn State Erie Behrend College ($12,279 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Erie Behrend College (83% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 29.9% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($12,583 vs. $9,685)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 43 points higher than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (1054)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (23)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than VCU (91%)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Erie-Behrend College is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (66% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/