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Mason Virginia Tech VCU UVA CNU Old Dominion Mary Washington College William & Mary UD Elon ASU Penn State| Penn State Lehigh Valley | James Madison University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
| Location | Center Valley, PA | Harrisonburg, VA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Small City | ||
| Enrollment | 954 | 22,758 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #259 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | psu.edu | jmu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $14,624 | $7,914 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $24,562 | $25,128 | ||
| Room & Board | $13,448 | $12,584 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $19,070 | $26,317 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $8,108 | $4,456 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 71% | 81% |
Admission |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 1,848 | 35,750 | ||
| Admitted | 1,741 | 27,258 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 94.2% | 76.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 16.3% | 18.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.42 | 3.57 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Challenging | Difficult | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 20/28 | 25/29 | ||
| SAT Range | 1140/1315 | 1170/1320 | ||
| 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 Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 15:1 | 17:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
| Graduation Rate | 47% | 81% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $55,300 | $60,300 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 69% | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $26,818 | $20,899 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $277 | $216 |
Diversity |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 1% | 2% | ||
| % Women | 4% | 5% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Medium | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 64% | 76% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 4% | ||
| % Hispanic | 16% | 6% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 4% | ||
| % International | 0% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 3% |
Students |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 93% | 73% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 6% | 26% | ||
Campus |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | JMU | ||
| Campus Housing | No | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | No | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- James Madison University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (22,758 students vs. 954 students)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. JMU Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or JMU?
- Penn State Lehigh Valley is 84.8% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $7,914.00)
- Out of state tuition is 2.3% higher at JMU than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($25,128.00 vs. $24,562.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than JMU ($19,070 vs. $26,317)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at James Madison University are 6.9% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($12,584 vs. $13,448)
- More students receive financial grant aid at James Madison University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (81% vs. 71%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 82% larger than aid received James Madison University ($8,108 vs. $4,456)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Lehigh Valley or JMU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between JMU or Penn State Lehigh Valley .
- The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 115 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
- Incoming JMU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
- Accepted freshman JMU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
- Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than JMU (76.2%)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley or JMU? 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 JMU and Penn State Lehigh Valley.
- The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (81% vs. 47%)
- Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $55,300)
- James Madison University students graduate with a $5,919 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,818)
- JMU graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($216 vs. $277)
- More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/