Penn State Harrisburg vs. AU

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

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
Location Middletown, PA Danville, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 4,572 1,363
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #661
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu averett.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $37,640
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $37,640
Room & Board $14,978 $11,360
Avg Net Price $22,096 $23,781
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $26,246
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 2,324
Admitted 9,483 1,767
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 76%
Enrolled % 12.6% 14.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.07
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 16/22
SAT Range 1100/1310 850/1170
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 Harrisburg AU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
Graduation Rate 63% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $48,400
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
% Men 60% 48%
% Women 40% 52%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 58%
% Black 11% 33%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 10% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg AU
% In-State 46% 46%
% Out-of-State 27% 45%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than AU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,363 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. AU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or AU?

  • Averett University is 144.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($37,640.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.6% higher at AU than Penn State Harrisburg ($37,640.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than AU ($22,096 vs. $23,781)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Averett University are 31.8% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,360 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Averett University than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Averett University students is 195.5% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($26,246 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. AU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 130 points higher than at AU (913)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at AU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at AU (3.07)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than AU (76%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. AU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or AU? 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 AU and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Averett University (63% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $6,900 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,400)
  • Averett University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • AU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 51%)

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