Penn State Mont Alto vs. VMI

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

Virginia Tech JMU Annapolis Washington and Lee Citadel Military College of South Carolina Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Mason Penn State Altoona VCU William & Mary Old Dominion UVA
Penn State Mont Alto vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
Penn State Mont Alto Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
Virginia Military Institute
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Mont Alto VMI
Location Mont Alto, PA Lexington, VA
Setting Distant Town Distant Rural
Enrollment 670 1,512
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Mont Alto VMI
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $39,590
Room & Board $12,254 $10,674
Avg Net Price $19,838 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $9,124 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 69%

Admission

 Penn State Mont Alto VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 678 1,192
Admitted 619 847
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 71.1%
Enrolled % 30.7% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.65
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/29
SAT Range 1020/1230 1105/1300
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 Mont Alto VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Mont Alto VMI
Graduation Rate 52% 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 Mont Alto VMI
% Men 41% 87%
% Women 59% 13%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 80% 80%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Mont Alto VMI
% In-State 76% 63%
% Out-of-State 24% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Military Institute is larger than than Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (1,512 students vs. 670 students)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Mont Alto or VMI?

  • Penn State Mont Alto is 41.3% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 71.5% higher at VMI than Penn State Mont Alto ($39,590.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Penn State Mont Alto ($18,129 vs. $19,838)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 14.8% lower than costs at Penn State Mont Alto ($10,674 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Mont Alto than Virginia Military Institute (79% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 109.5% larger than aid received Penn State Mont Alto ($19,111 vs. $9,124)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 184 points higher than at Penn State Mont Alto (955)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Mont Alto (21)
  • Penn State Mont Alto has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than VMI (71.1%)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (69% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $6,800 more per year than Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • VMI graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Mont Alto 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/