Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. VSU

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

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

NSU Morgan State Bowie State University RU North Carolina Central University Old Dominion WVU Delaware State University Hampton University ECSU WSSU Allegheny College
Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Virginia State University comparison
Penn State Greater Allegheny Virginia State University College 3 College 4
Virginia State University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Greater Allegheny VSU
Location McKeesport, PA Petersburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 363 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Greater Allegheny VSU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $16,542
Room & Board $12,254 $11,544
Avg Net Price $19,505 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $10,269 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 92%

Admission

 Penn State Greater Allegheny VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 672 8,230
Admitted 589 7,384
Acceptance Rate 87.6% 89.7%
Enrolled % 19.5% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA - 2.85
Typical High School Grades - B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/17
SAT Range 1040/1300 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 Greater Allegheny VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Greater Allegheny VSU
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Greater Allegheny VSU
% Men 61% 40%
% Women 39% 60%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 61% 3%
% Black 19% 87%
% Hispanic 7% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 Penn State Greater Allegheny VSU
% In-State 68% 72%
% Out-of-State 30% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Greater Allegheny or VSU?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 149.5% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.6% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Virginia State University ($23,086.00 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 Greater Allegheny ($15,773 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 6.2% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,544 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (92% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 12% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,498 vs. $10,269)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943) is 86 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at VSU (18)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than Penn State Greater Allegheny (87.6%)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Greater Allegheny.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Greater Allegheny is higher than Virginia State University (47% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $18,600 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $36,700)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny students graduate with a $2,682 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $29,500)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($277 vs. $305)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny 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/