Penn State vs. WVU

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or West Virginia University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or WVU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass Marshall University UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse
Penn State Main Campus vs. West Virginia University comparison
Penn State Main Campus West Virginia University College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus West Virginia University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State WVU
Location University Park, PA Morgantown, WV
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,028 24,741
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #559
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State WVU
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $9,360
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $26,568
Room & Board $12,744 $11,618
Avg Net Price $26,747 $12,202
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $11,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 94%

Admission

 Penn State WVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 18,206
Admitted 47,360 16,091
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 88.4%
Enrolled % 19.5% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA - 3.45
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 20/26
SAT Range 1210/1390 1000/1220
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State WVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State WVU
Graduation Rate 87% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,001
Median Loan Payment $277 $248

Diversity

 Penn State WVU
% Men 53% 47%
% Women 47% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 81%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State WVU
% In-State 51% 42%
% Out-of-State 40% 57%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than WVU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 24,741 students)

Penn State vs. WVU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or WVU?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 96.2% more expensive to attend than WVU for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $9,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.3% higher at Penn State than West Virginia University ($35,946.00 vs. $26,568.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia University than Penn State ($12,202 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia University are 9.7% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,618 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia University than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia University students is 16.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,685 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. WVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 124 points higher than at WVU (1078)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at WVU (24)
  • WVU has a higher acceptance rate (88.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. WVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or WVU? 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 WVU and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than West Virginia University (87% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,700 more per year than WVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,600)
  • West Virginia University students graduate with a $2,817 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($24,001 vs. $26,818)
  • WVU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($248 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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