UVA vs. Penn State

Should I go to University of Virginia Main Campus or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UVA or Penn State 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. 

William & Mary Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UNC Chapel Hill UConn Pitt UMass JMU UB NC State Michigan
University of Virginia Main Campus vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
University of Virginia Main Campus Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of Virginia Main Campus Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UVA Penn State
Location Charlottesville, VA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 26,082 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #59 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website virginia.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UVA Penn State
Tuition (In State) $16,980 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $51,870 $35,946
Room & Board $12,890 $12,744
Avg Net Price $19,469 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $26,818 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 44%

Admission

 UVA Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,926 85,784
Admitted 9,503 47,360
Acceptance Rate 18.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 42.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/34 26/31
SAT Range 1400/1540 1210/1390
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

 UVA Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UVA Penn State
Graduation Rate 94% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $77,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $201 $277

Diversity

 UVA Penn State
% Men 45% 53%
% Women 55% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 60% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

 UVA Penn State
% In-State 62% 51%
% Out-of-State 33% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UVA based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 26,082 students)

UVA vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UVA or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 8.2% more expensive to attend than UVA for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.3% higher at UVA than Penn State Main Campus ($51,870.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Virginia Main Campus than Penn State ($19,469 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.1% lower than costs at University of Virginia Main Campus ($12,744 vs. $12,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than University of Virginia Main Campus (44% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Virginia Main Campus students is 166.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($26,818 vs. $10,066)

UVA vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Virginia Main Campus (1364) is 162 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UVA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UVA (18.7%)

UVA vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UVA or Penn State? 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 Penn State and UVA.

  • The graduation rate at UVA is higher than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from University of Virginia Main Campus earn on average $21,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Virginia Main Campus students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • UVA graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More UVA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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