Penn State Harrisburg vs. CNU

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

 Penn State Harrisburg CNU
Location Middletown, PA Newport News, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 4,651 4,503
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #418
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cnu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg CNU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $10,001
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $24,238
Room & Board $15,870 $12,360
Avg Net Price $22,406 $22,864
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $9,141
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 65%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg CNU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 7,062
Admitted 9,924 6,212
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 88%
Enrolled % 12.2% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.79
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 23/29
SAT Range 1110/1320 1100/1300
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 Harrisburg CNU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg CNU
Graduation Rate 63% 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 Harrisburg CNU
% Men 5% 1%
% Women 6% 1%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 74%
% Black 11% 8%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg CNU
% In-State 46% 93%
% Out-of-State 27% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than CNU based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 4,503 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CNU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 53.9% more expensive to attend than CNU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $10,001.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.7% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Christopher Newport University ($26,112.00 vs. $24,238.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than CNU ($22,406 vs. $22,864)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Christopher Newport University are 28.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,360 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Christopher Newport University than Penn State Harrisburg (65% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Christopher Newport University students is 8.6% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,141 vs. $8,421)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CNU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christopher Newport University (1155) is 112 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming CNU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman CNU students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than CNU (88%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CNU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

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