PVAMU vs. Fairmont State

Should I go to Prairie View A & M University or Fairmont State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PVAMU or Fairmont State 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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Prairie View A & M University vs. Fairmont State University comparison
Prairie View A & M University Fairmont State University College 3 College 4
Prairie View A & M University Fairmont State University
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Overview

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Location Prairie View, TX Fairmont, WV
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 9,517 3,307
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #994 #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pvamu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $7,387 $6,468
Tuition (Out of State) $22,590 $16,174
Room & Board $10,317 $11,486
Avg Net Price $14,065 $10,993
Avg Grant Aid $14,680 $7,034
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 92%

Admission

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,777 1,979
Admitted 6,609 1,964
Acceptance Rate 75.3% 99.2%
Enrolled % 32% 34.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/20 17/23
SAT Range 850/1030 830/1040
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 34% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,955 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $299 $227

Diversity

 PVAMU Fairmont State
% Men 4% 3%
% Women 7% 5%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 86%
% Black 86% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 PVAMU Fairmont State
% In-State 88% 87%
% Out-of-State 11% 11%

Campus

 PVAMU Fairmont State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Prairie View A & M University is larger than than Fairmont State based on total student enrollment (9,517 students vs. 3,307 students)

PVAMU vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PVAMU or Fairmont State ?

  • Prairie View A & M University is 14.2% more expensive to attend than Fairmont State for in-state tuition ($7,387.00 vs. $6,468.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.7% higher at PVAMU than Fairmont State University ($22,590.00 vs. $16,174.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than PVAMU ($10,993 vs. $14,065)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie View A & M University are 11.3% lower than costs at Fairmont State University ($10,317 vs. $11,486)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie View A & M University than Fairmont State University (97% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie View A & M University students is 108.7% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($14,680 vs. $7,034)

PVAMU vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Fairmont State University (962) is 105 points higher than at PVAMU (857)
  • Incoming Fairmont State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PVAMU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Fairmont State students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at PVAMU (3.3)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (99.2%) than PVAMU (75.3%)

PVAMU vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PVAMU or Fairmont State ? 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 Fairmont State and PVAMU.

  • The graduation rate at PVAMU is higher than Fairmont State University (34% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Prairie View A & M University earn on average $1,400 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $6,955 lower median federal student loan debt than PVAMU graduates. ($22,000 vs. $28,955)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than PVAMU graduates. ($227 vs. $299)
  • More Fairmont State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PVAMU students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 28%)

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