Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VSU

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

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Location Erie, PA Petersburg, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,295 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #503 #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $16,542
Room & Board $12,984 $11,544
Avg Net Price $21,968 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $9,685 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 92%

Admission

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,363 8,230
Admitted 4,164 7,384
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 89.7%
Enrolled % 19.9% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Difficult Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 14/17
SAT Range 1095/1330 830/1030
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 May 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Graduation Rate 66% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $305

Diversity

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
% Men 64% 40%
% Women 36% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 79% 3%
% Black 4% 87%
% Hispanic 2% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 9% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
% In-State 74% 72%
% Out-of-State 19% 27%

Campus

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College VSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 3,295 students)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or VSU?

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College is 177.8% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.3% higher at Penn State Erie-Behrend College than Virginia State University ($25,854.00 vs. $16,542.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia State University than Penn State Erie-Behrend College ($15,773 vs. $21,968)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 12.5% lower than costs at Penn State Erie Behrend College ($11,544 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than Penn State Erie Behrend College (92% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 18.7% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($11,498 vs. $9,685)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Erie Behrend College (1054) is 197 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Penn State Erie-Behrend College students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Erie-Behrend College students have a 0.64 point higher average high school GPA (3.49) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than VSU (89.7%)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or VSU? 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 VSU and Penn State Erie-Behrend College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Erie-Behrend College is higher than Virginia State University (66% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College earn on average $18,600 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $36,700)
  • Penn State Erie Behrend College students graduate with a $2,682 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $29,500)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($277 vs. $305)
  • More Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 28%)

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