Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield State College

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
Location Middletown, PA Bluefield, WV
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,572 1,306
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #986
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bluefieldstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $8,840
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $16,030
Room & Board $14,978 $10,200
Avg Net Price $22,096 $11,759
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $10,160
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 96%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 813
Admitted 9,483 790
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 97.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 33.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 17/22
SAT Range 1100/1310 870/1080
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 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
Graduation Rate 63% 22%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $31,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $196

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
% Men 60% 40%
% Women 40% 60%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 59% 85%
% Black 11% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Bluefield State College
% In-State 46% 54%
% Out-of-State 27% 46%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Bluefield State College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,306 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield State College Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 74.1% more expensive to attend than Bluefield State College for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Bluefield State College ($25,854.00 vs. $16,030.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bluefield State College than Penn State Harrisburg ($11,759 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield State College are 46.8% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($10,200 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bluefield State College than Penn State Harrisburg (96% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bluefield State College students is 14.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($10,160 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 109 points higher than at Bluefield State College (934)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Bluefield State College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Bluefield State College (3.41)
  • Bluefield State College has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bluefield State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Bluefield State College (63% vs. 22%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $23,500 more per year than Bluefield State College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $31,800)
  • Bluefield State College students graduate with a $7,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bluefield State College graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($196 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bluefield State College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 30%)

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