Penn State Harrisburg vs. VWC

Should I go to Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Harrisburg or VWC 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 Penn State Penn State York Penn State Abington Rowan University University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Ohio University UB Penn State Berks City College of New York
Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Wesleyan College comparison
Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Wesleyan College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
Location Middletown, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 4,572 1,538
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #631
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $36,010
Room & Board $14,978 $11,070
Avg Net Price $22,096 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 1,718
Admitted 9,483 1,399
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 81.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 27/29
SAT Range 1100/1310 1190/1365
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

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
Graduation Rate 63% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
% Men 60% 44%
% Women 40% 56%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 54%
% Black 11% 24%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg VWC
% In-State 46% 73%
% Out-of-State 27% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,538 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VWC Cost Comparison

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

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is 134% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($36,010.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.3% higher at VWC than Penn State Harrisburg ($36,010.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than VWC ($22,096 vs. $23,046)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 35.3% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,070 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Wesleyan College students is 210.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($27,568 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 61 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at VWC (3.39)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than VWC (81.4%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (63% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $13,600 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,700)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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