Penn State Beaver vs. Fairmont State

Should I go to Penn State Beaver or Fairmont State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Beaver or Fairmont State 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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Penn State Beaver vs. Fairmont State University comparison
Penn State Beaver Fairmont State University College 3 College 4
Fairmont State University
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Overview

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
Location Monaca, PA Fairmont, WV
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 522 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $15,638
Room & Board $12,254 $10,022
Avg Net Price $18,113 $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $9,274 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 94%

Admission

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,707 1,926
Admitted 1,591 1,897
Acceptance Rate 93.2% 98.5%
Enrolled % 10.6% 37%
Avg High School GPA - 3.36
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/28 18/23
SAT Range 1050/1260 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 47% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $227

Diversity

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
% Men 55% 41%
% Women 45% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 86%
% Black 9% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Beaver Fairmont State
% In-State 63% 88%
% Out-of-State 34% 11%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Fairmont State University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (3,498 students vs. 522 students)

Penn State Beaver vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Beaver or Fairmont State ?

  • Penn State Beaver is 129.6% more expensive to attend than Fairmont State for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $6,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.6% higher at Penn State Beaver than Fairmont State University ($23,086.00 vs. $15,638.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than Penn State Beaver ($10,794 vs. $18,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 22.3% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($10,022 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairmont State University than Penn State Beaver (94% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Beaver students is 41.7% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($9,274 vs. $6,547)

Penn State Beaver vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Beaver (999) is 37 points higher than at Fairmont State (962)
  • Incoming Penn State Beaver students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at Fairmont State (21)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (98.5%) than Penn State Beaver (93.2%)

Penn State Beaver vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Beaver or Fairmont State ? 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 Fairmont State and Penn State Beaver.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Beaver is higher than Fairmont State University (47% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $17,700 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fairmont State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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