Penn State Harrisburg vs. VMI

Should I go to Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Harrisburg or VMI 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. 

Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State Altoona JMU Virginia Tech Penn State Penn State York Penn State Abington Rowan University University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Annapolis Ohio University UB
Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Military Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
Location Middletown, PA Lexington, VA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Rural
Enrollment 4,651 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $40,778
Room & Board $15,870 $10,990
Avg Net Price $22,406 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 81%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 1,171
Admitted 9,924 957
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 81.7%
Enrolled % 12.2% 49%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 22/28
SAT Range 1110/1320 1040/1260
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 VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
Graduation Rate 63% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
% Men 5% 61%
% Women 6% 9%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 80%
% Black 11% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
% In-State 46% 63%
% Out-of-State 27% 35%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg VMI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 VMI based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 1,560 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VMI Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 52.7% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $10,076.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.2% higher at VMI than Penn State Harrisburg ($40,778.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Penn State Harrisburg ($17,229 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 44.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($10,990 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Military Institute than Penn State Harrisburg (81% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 63.1% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($13,735 vs. $8,421)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 96 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than VMI (81.7%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or VMI? 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 VMI and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $6,800 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $55,300)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • VMI graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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