PVAMU vs. NSU

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

 PVAMU NSU
Location Prairie View, TX Norfolk, VA
Setting Distant Town Midsize City
Enrollment 9,056 5,783
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #996 #1008
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pvamu.edu nsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PVAMU NSU
Tuition (In State) $7,387 $5,752
Tuition (Out of State) $22,590 $16,920
Room & Board $9,605 $10,844
Avg Net Price $12,875 $14,652
Avg Grant Aid $14,071 $12,164
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 91%

Admission

 PVAMU NSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,691 8,884
Admitted 4,329 7,951
Acceptance Rate 76.1% 89.5%
Enrolled % 36% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 2.9
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 15/20
SAT Range 860/1050 840/1040
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2025 May 31, 2025

Academics

 PVAMU NSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

 PVAMU NSU
Graduation Rate 34% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 27%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,955 $31,000
Median Loan Payment $299 $320

Diversity

 PVAMU NSU
% Men 33% 33%
% Women 67% 67%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes Yes
% White 3% 5%
% Black 86% 84%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

 PVAMU NSU
% In-State 88% 65%
% Out-of-State 12% 31%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Prairie View A & M University is larger than than NSU based on total student enrollment (9,056 students vs. 5,783 students)

PVAMU vs. NSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PVAMU or NSU?

  • Prairie View A & M University is 28.4% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($7,387.00 vs. $5,752.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 33.5% higher at PVAMU than Norfolk State University ($22,590.00 vs. $16,920.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Prairie View A & M University than NSU ($12,875 vs. $14,652)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie View A & M University are 12.9% lower than costs at Norfolk State University ($9,605 vs. $10,844)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie View A & M University than Norfolk State University (97% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie View A & M University students is 15.7% larger than aid received Norfolk State University ($14,071 vs. $12,164)

PVAMU vs. NSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Prairie View A & M University (857) is 49 points higher than at NSU (808)
  • Incoming PVAMU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (18) than students at NSU (17)
  • Accepted freshman PVAMU students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at NSU (2.9)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than PVAMU (76.1%)

PVAMU vs. NSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PVAMU or NSU? 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 NSU and PVAMU.

  • The graduation rate at PVAMU is higher than Norfolk State University (34% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Prairie View A & M University earn on average $2,300 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Prairie View A & M University students graduate with a $2,045 lower median federal student loan debt than NSU graduates. ($28,955 vs. $31,000)
  • PVAMU graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than NSU graduates. ($299 vs. $320)
  • More PVAMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (28% vs. 27%)

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