Penn State Harrisburg vs. WVSU

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

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
Location Middletown, PA Institute, WV
Setting Large Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 3,785
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #1009
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wvstateu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $8,122
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $13,810
Room & Board $14,978 $12,214
Avg Net Price $22,096 $11,684
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $9,482
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 90%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 2,775
Admitted 9,483 2,669
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 96.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 12.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.24
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 17/22
SAT Range 1100/1310 840/1065
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 WVSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
Graduation Rate 63% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $32,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 35%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
% Men 60% 41%
% Women 40% 59%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No Yes
% White 59% 65%
% Black 11% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 10%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 9%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg WVSU
% In-State 46% 81%
% Out-of-State 27% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than WVSU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,785 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WVSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 89.5% more expensive to attend than WVSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,122.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 87.2% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than West Virginia State University ($25,854.00 vs. $13,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia State University than Penn State Harrisburg ($11,684 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia State University are 22.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,214 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia State University than Penn State Harrisburg (90% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia State University students is 6.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,482 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WVSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 116 points higher than at WVSU (927)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at WVSU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at WVSU (3.24)
  • WVSU has a higher acceptance rate (96.2%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WVSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than West Virginia State University (63% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $22,600 more per year than WVSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $32,700)
  • West Virginia State University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • WVSU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 35%)

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