PAFA vs. Ferrum College

Should I go to Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts or Ferrum College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PAFA or Ferrum College 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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Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts vs. Ferrum College comparison
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Ferrum College College 3 College 4
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Ferrum College
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Overview

PAFA Ferrum College
Location Philadelphia, PA Ferrum, VA
Setting Large City Distant Rural
Enrollment 172 855
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pafa.org ferrum.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PAFA Ferrum College
Tuition (In State) $40,500 $37,400
Tuition (Out of State) $40,500 $37,400
Room & Board $17,512 $13,230
Avg Net Price $48,191 $25,558
Avg Grant Aid $16,087 $26,580
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 94%

Admission

PAFA Ferrum College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 183 1,452
Admitted 167 1,224
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 84.3%
Enrolled % 11.4% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA - 3.14
Typical High School Grades - B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 900/1110
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2024 Sep 15, 2023

Academics

PAFA Ferrum College
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

PAFA Ferrum College
Graduation Rate 73% 31%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $22,000 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,500 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $274 $289

Diversity

PAFA Ferrum College
% Men 31% 58%
% Women 69% 42%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 61% 52%
% Black 5% 34%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 6%
% International 6% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

PAFA Ferrum College
% In-State 53% 64%
% Out-of-State 42% 34%

Campus

PAFA Ferrum College
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Ferrum College is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (855 students vs. 172 students)

PAFA vs. Ferrum College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PAFA or Ferrum College?

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 8.3% more expensive to attend than Ferrum College for in-state tuition ($40,500.00 vs. $37,400.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.3% higher at PAFA than Ferrum College ($40,500.00 vs. $37,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ferrum College than PAFA ($25,558 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ferrum College are 32.4% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($13,230 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ferrum College than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (94% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ferrum College students is 65.2% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($26,580 vs. $16,087)

PAFA vs. Ferrum College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Ferrum College (84.3%)

PAFA vs. Ferrum College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PAFA or Ferrum College? 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 Ferrum College and PAFA.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Ferrum College (73% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Ferrum College earn on average $17,000 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Ferrum College graduates. ($26,500 vs. $28,000)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than Ferrum College graduates. ($274 vs. $289)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Ferrum College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 49%)

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