Penn State York vs. VCU

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

Penn State York VCU
Location York, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Midsize Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 718 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State York VCU
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $33,726
Room & Board $12,984 $12,279
Avg Net Price $18,910 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $8,440 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 84% 83%

Admission

Penn State York VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,005 18,242
Admitted 1,862 16,600
Acceptance Rate 92.9% 91%
Enrolled % 10.3% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/26 22/30
SAT Range 1090/1300 1030/1290
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 York VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Work and Family Studies (24%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State York VCU
Graduation Rate 45% 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 York VCU
% Men 64% 36%
% Women 36% 64%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 50%
% Black 6% 18%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 15% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State York VCU
% In-State 81% 92%
% Out-of-State 17% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State York based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 718 students)

Penn State York vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State York or VCU?

  • Penn State York is 17.4% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.7% higher at VCU than Penn State York ($33,726.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State York than VCU ($18,910 vs. $21,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 5.7% lower than costs at Penn State York ($12,279 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State York than Virginia Commonwealth University (84% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 49.1% larger than aid received Penn State York ($12,583 vs. $8,440)

Penn State York vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 47 points higher than at Penn State York (1050)
  • Incoming Penn State York students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at VCU (24)
  • Penn State York has a higher acceptance rate (92.9%) than VCU (91%)

Penn State York vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State York 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 York.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Penn State York (53% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Penn State York 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 York graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State York graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State York 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/