Penn State vs. UVA

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and University of Virginia Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Main Campus
University of Virginia Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • UVA Charlottesville, VA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • UVA Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • UVA 26,409
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • UVA Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • UVA #58
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • UVA -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • UVA Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • UVA

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • UVA $21,803
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • UVA $59,512
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • UVA $14,800
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • UVA $18,427
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • UVA $28,715
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • UVA 39%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • UVA 58,951
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • UVA 9,909
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • UVA 16.8%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • UVA 40%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • UVA 1480
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • UVA 33
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • UVA 3.85
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • UVA A
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • UVA Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • UVA Very High
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • UVA 32/35
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • UVA 1410/1540
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • UVA Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • UVA

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • UVA 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • UVA
    • Social Sciences (23%)
    • Engineering (10%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Psychology (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • UVA 94%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • UVA $77,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • UVA 86%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • UVA $19,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • UVA $201

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • UVA 45%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • UVA 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • UVA Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • UVA No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • UVA 60%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • UVA 13%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • UVA 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • UVA 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • UVA 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • UVA 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • UVA 5%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • UVA 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • UVA 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • UVA 66%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • UVA 29%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • UVA Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • UVA No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • UVA Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • UVA No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • UVA Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with University of Virginia Main Campus in Charlottesville, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than UVA based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 26,409 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); University of Virginia Main Campus is in Charlottesville, VA (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Virginia Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; University of Virginia Main Campus 15:1.

Penn State vs. UVA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or UVA? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Virginia Main Campus than Penn State ($18,427 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 2.2% lower than at University of Virginia Main Campus ($14,474 vs. $14,800).
  • University of Virginia Main Campus is 5.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $1,159 more per year; $21,803.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 42.4% higher at UVA than at Penn State Main Campus (about $17,722 more per year; $59,512.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Virginia Main Campus than at Penn State Main Campus (39% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Virginia Main Campus students is 153.3% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($28,715 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. UVA Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or UVA? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UVA and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Virginia Main Campus (1480) is 150 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming UVA students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; University of Virginia Main Campus 1410/1540.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; University of Virginia Main Campus 32/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; UVA - Test optional.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than UVA (16.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 40% at UVA.

Penn State vs. UVA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and UVA? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of Virginia Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (94%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from University of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of about $21,900 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($77,200 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Virginia Main Campus graduates have a $7,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($19,500 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UVA graduates have an estimated $76 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($201 vs. $277).
  • More UVA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.