Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield College

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

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
Location Middletown, PA Bluefield, VA
Setting Large Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 4,572 991
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bluefield.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $27,600
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $27,600
Room & Board $14,978 $9,684
Avg Net Price $22,096 $22,904
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $18,596
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 984
Admitted 9,483 620
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 63%
Enrolled % 12.6% 24%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (42%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
Graduation Rate 63% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,834
Median Loan Payment $277 $215

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
% Men 60% 46%
% Women 40% 54%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 65%
% Black 11% 22%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
% In-State 46% 66%
% Out-of-State 27% 33%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield College
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 Bluefield College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 991 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Bluefield College?

  • Bluefield College is 79.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($27,600.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.8% higher at Bluefield College than Penn State Harrisburg ($27,600.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Bluefield College ($22,096 vs. $22,904)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield College are 54.7% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($9,684 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bluefield College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bluefield College students is 109.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($18,596 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 120 points higher than at Bluefield College (923)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Bluefield College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Bluefield College (3.31)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Bluefield College (63%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Bluefield College? 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 Bluefield College and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Bluefield College (63% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $9,600 more per year than Bluefield College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,700)
  • Bluefield College students graduate with a $5,984 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($20,834 vs. $26,818)
  • Bluefield College graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($215 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bluefield College 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/