Penn State Shenango vs. VCU

Should I go to Penn State Shenango or Virginia Commonwealth University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Shenango or VCU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

JMU Mason Virginia Tech Mary Washington College Old Dominion CNU William & Mary UVA WVU UMBC Howard University of Richmond
Penn State Shenango vs. Virginia Commonwealth University comparison
Penn State Shenango Virginia Commonwealth University College 3 College 4
Virginia Commonwealth University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Shenango VCU
Location Sharon, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 332 28,238
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #469
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Shenango VCU
Tuition (In State) $13,568 $12,850
Tuition (Out of State) $22,876 $34,744
Room & Board $13,448 $16,119
Avg Net Price $14,895 $22,852
Avg Grant Aid $11,211 $12,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 99%

Admission

 Penn State Shenango VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 209 19,052
Admitted 190 17,729
Acceptance Rate 90.9% 93.1%
Enrolled % 38.4% 25.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30
SAT Range 1040/1230 1030/1270
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 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Shenango VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Work and Family Studies (32%)
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Shenango VCU
Graduation Rate 44% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

 Penn State Shenango VCU
% Men 7% 8%
% Women 15% 17%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 85% 50%
% Black 7% 18%
% Hispanic 2% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Penn State Shenango VCU
% In-State 86% 92%
% Out-of-State 14% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Penn State Shenango based on total student enrollment (28,238 students vs. 332 students)

Penn State Shenango vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Shenango or VCU?

  • Penn State Shenango is 5.6% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($13,568.00 vs. $12,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.9% higher at VCU than Penn State Shenango ($34,744.00 vs. $22,876.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Shenango than VCU ($14,895 vs. $22,852)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Shenango are 19.9% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($13,448 vs. $16,119)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Commonwealth University than Penn State Shenango (99% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Commonwealth University students is 10.9% larger than aid received Penn State Shenango ($12,433 vs. $11,211)

Penn State Shenango vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 155 points higher than at Penn State Shenango (942)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Shenango (21)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (93.1%) than Penn State Shenango (90.9%)

Penn State Shenango vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Shenango or VCU? 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 VCU and Penn State Shenango.

  • The graduation rate at VCU is higher than Penn State Shenango (53% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Shenango earn on average $7,800 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Shenango graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • VCU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Shenango graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Shenango graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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