Penn State Harrisburg vs. SVU

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

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
Location Middletown, PA Buena Vista, VA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 4,572 1,053
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #984
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu svu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $18,858
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $18,858
Room & Board $14,978 $9,150
Avg Net Price $22,096 $23,274
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $8,188
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 99%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 1,090
Admitted 9,483 1,084
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 99.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 35.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.19
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 18/24
SAT Range 1100/1310 900/1250
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 SVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Work and Family Studies (12%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
Graduation Rate 63% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,654
Median Loan Payment $277 $244

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
% Men 60% 53%
% Women 40% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 80%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 7%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
% In-State 46% 12%
% Out-of-State 27% 73%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg SVU
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 SVU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,053 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. SVU Cost Comparison

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

  • Southern Virginia University is 22.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($18,858.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.1% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Southern Virginia University ($25,854.00 vs. $18,858.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than SVU ($22,096 vs. $23,274)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern Virginia University are 63.7% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($9,150 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Virginia University than Penn State Harrisburg (99% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 8.5% larger than aid received Southern Virginia University ($8,882 vs. $8,188)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. SVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 2 points higher than at SVU (1041)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at SVU (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at SVU (3.19)
  • SVU has a higher acceptance rate (99.4%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. SVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Southern Virginia University (63% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $14,700 more per year than SVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,600)
  • Southern Virginia University students graduate with a $3,164 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,654 vs. $26,818)
  • SVU graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($244 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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