PVAMU vs. VSU

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

 PVAMU VSU
Location Prairie View, TX Petersburg, VA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 9,056 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #996 #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pvamu.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PVAMU VSU
Tuition (In State) $7,387 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $22,590 $16,542
Room & Board $9,605 $11,544
Avg Net Price $12,875 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $14,071 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 92%

Admission

 PVAMU VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,691 8,230
Admitted 4,329 7,384
Acceptance Rate 76.1% 89.7%
Enrolled % 36% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 14/17
SAT Range 860/1050 830/1030
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 1, 2025

Academics

 PVAMU VSU
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%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 PVAMU VSU
Graduation Rate 34% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,955 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $299 $305

Diversity

 PVAMU VSU
% Men 33% 40%
% Women 67% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes Yes
% White 3% 3%
% Black 86% 87%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 0%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 PVAMU VSU
% In-State 88% 72%
% Out-of-State 12% 27%

Campus

 PVAMU VSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
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 VSU based on total student enrollment (9,056 students vs. 4,648 students)

PVAMU vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PVAMU or VSU?

  • Prairie View A & M University is 33.3% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($7,387.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.6% higher at PVAMU than Virginia State University ($22,590.00 vs. $16,542.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Prairie View A & M University than VSU ($12,875 vs. $15,773)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie View A & M University are 20.2% lower than costs at Virginia State University ($9,605 vs. $11,544)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie View A & M University than Virginia State University (97% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie View A & M University students is 22.4% larger than aid received Virginia State University ($14,071 vs. $11,498)

PVAMU vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Prairie View A & M University (857) is the same at VSU (857)
  • Incoming PVAMU students have at the same average ACT score (18) as students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman PVAMU students have a 0.45 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than PVAMU (76.1%)

PVAMU vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at VSU is higher than Prairie View A & M University (40% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Prairie View A & M University earn on average $2,300 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Prairie View A & M University students graduate with a $545 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($28,955 vs. $29,500)
  • PVAMU graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($299 vs. $305)
  • More PVAMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (28% vs. 28%)

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