Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Tech

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

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
Location Middletown, PA Blacksburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 4,572 38,170
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #142
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $12,104
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $31,754
Room & Board $14,978 $12,680
Avg Net Price $22,096 $19,301
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $7,649
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 57%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 45,321
Admitted 9,483 25,825
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 57%
Enrolled % 12.6% 27.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.97
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28 27/32
SAT Range 1100/1310 1240/1430
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 15, 2025

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
Graduation Rate 63% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,966
Median Loan Payment $277 $247

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
% Men 60% 57%
% Women 40% 43%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 68%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 10% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
% In-State 46% 64%
% Out-of-State 27% 32%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Tech
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

  • Virginia Tech is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (38,170 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Tech Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Tech?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 27.1% more expensive to attend than Virginia Tech for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.8% higher at Virginia Tech than Penn State Harrisburg ($31,754.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Tech than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,301 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Tech are 18.1% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,680 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than Virginia Tech (63% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 16.1% larger than aid received Virginia Tech ($8,882 vs. $7,649)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Tech Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Tech (1210) is 167 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Accepted freshman Virginia Tech students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Virginia Tech (57%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Tech Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Tech? 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 Virginia Tech and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Virginia Tech is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (82% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Tech earn on average $9,700 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($65,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Virginia Tech students graduate with a $2,852 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,966 vs. $26,818)
  • Virginia Tech graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($247 vs. $277)
  • More Virginia Tech graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 69%)

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