Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Union University

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

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
Location Middletown, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 4,572 1,860
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #1021
Religious Affiliation - Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vuu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $10,530
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $10,530
Room & Board $14,978 $9,286
Avg Net Price $22,096 $21,057
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $8,597
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 69%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 4,386
Admitted 9,483 3,533
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 80.6%
Enrolled % 12.6% 11.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 2.71
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1310 813/990
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 Virginia Union University
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Social Sciences (35%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Human Services (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
Graduation Rate 63% 29%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $33,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 19%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $33,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $348

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
% Men 60% 50%
% Women 40% 50%
Racial Diversity High Extremely Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 59% 1%
% Black 11% 94%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
% In-State 46% 60%
% Out-of-State 27% 39%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Virginia Union University
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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Virginia Union University based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,860 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Union University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Union University?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 46.1% more expensive to attend than Virginia Union University for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $10,530.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 145.5% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Virginia Union University ($25,854.00 vs. $10,530.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Union University than Penn State Harrisburg ($21,057 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Union University are 61.3% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($9,286 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Union University than Penn State Harrisburg (69% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 3.3% larger than aid received Virginia Union University ($8,882 vs. $8,597)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Union University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 271 points higher than at Virginia Union University (772)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Virginia Union University (16)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.77 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Virginia Union University (2.71)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Virginia Union University (80.6%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Virginia Union University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Virginia Union University? 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 Virginia Union University and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Virginia Union University (63% vs. 29%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $22,000 more per year than Virginia Union University graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $33,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $6,932 lower median federal student loan debt than Virginia Union University graduates. ($26,818 vs. $33,750)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than Virginia Union University graduates. ($277 vs. $348)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Virginia Union University students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 19%)

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