Penn State New Kensington vs. VCU

Should I go to Penn State New Kensington or Virginia Commonwealth University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State New Kensington or VCU 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 New Kensington vs. Virginia Commonwealth University comparison
Penn State New Kensington Virginia Commonwealth University College 3 College 4
Virginia Commonwealth University
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Overview

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
Location Upper Burrell, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 456 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $34,744
Room & Board $13,448 $16,119
Avg Net Price $19,294 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $7,450 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 99%

Admission

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 643 19,052
Admitted 600 17,729
Acceptance Rate 93.3% 93.1%
Enrolled % 20.8% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/27 22/30
SAT Range 1030/1270 1030/1270
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 18, 2025

Academics

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
Graduation Rate 40% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 6% 17%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 87% 50%
% Black 5% 18%
% Hispanic 2% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 6%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State New Kensington VCU
% In-State 85% 92%
% Out-of-State 13% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State New Kensington based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 456 students)

Penn State New Kensington vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State New Kensington or VCU?

  • Penn State New Kensington is 7.6% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $12,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49% higher at VCU than Penn State New Kensington ($34,744.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State New Kensington than VCU ($19,294 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State New Kensington are 19.9% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($13,448 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State New Kensington (99% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 66.9% larger than aid received Penn State New Kensington ($12,433 vs. $7,450)

Penn State New Kensington vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 117 points higher than at Penn State New Kensington (980)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State New Kensington (21)
  • Penn State New Kensington has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than VCU (93.1%)

Penn State New Kensington vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State New Kensington or VCU? 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 VCU and Penn State New Kensington.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Penn State New Kensington (53% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State New Kensington earn on average $7,800 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State New Kensington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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