Penn State Berks vs. VCU

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

Penn State Berks VCU
Location Reading, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 2,077 28,082
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks VCU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $33,726
Room & Board $14,334 $12,279
Avg Net Price $21,728 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 83%

Admission

Penn State Berks VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 18,242
Admitted 5,453 16,600
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 91%
Enrolled % 11.6% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 22/30
SAT Range 1090/1290 1030/1290
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 Jan 18, 2024

Academics

Penn State Berks VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks VCU
Graduation Rate 55% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

Penn State Berks VCU
% Men 59% 36%
% Women 41% 64%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 68% 50%
% Black 9% 18%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 3% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Berks VCU
% In-State 64% 92%
% Out-of-State 30% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or VCU?

  • Penn State Berks is 23.5% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.4% higher at VCU than Penn State Berks ($33,726.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Berks ($21,294 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Commonwealth University are 16.7% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($12,279 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Berks (83% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 47.5% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($12,583 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 119 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than VCU (91%)

Penn State Berks vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or VCU? 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 VCU and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Berks is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (55% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $7,800 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Berks graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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