Penn State Harrisburg vs. VSU

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

 Penn State Harrisburg VSU
Location Middletown, PA Petersburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 4,648
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg VSU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $16,542
Room & Board $14,978 $11,544
Avg Net Price $22,096 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 92%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 8,230
Admitted 9,483 7,384
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 89.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 14/17
SAT Range 1100/1310 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 Harrisburg VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg VSU
Graduation Rate 63% 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 Harrisburg VSU
% Men 60% 40%
% Women 40% 60%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 59% 3%
% Black 11% 87%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg VSU
% In-State 46% 72%
% Out-of-State 27% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 177.8% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Virginia State University ($25,854.00 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 Harrisburg ($15,773 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 29.7% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,544 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia State University than Penn State Harrisburg (92% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 29.5% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($11,498 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 186 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than VSU (89.7%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Virginia State University (63% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $18,600 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $36,700)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $2,682 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $29,500)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($277 vs. $305)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/