UVA vs. Penn State vs. Nova vs. Northern Virginia Community College

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.
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University of Virginia Main Campus vs. Penn State Main Campus vs. Nova Southeastern University vs. Northern Virginia Community College comparison
University of Virginia Main Campus Penn State Main Campus Nova Southeastern University Northern Virginia Community College
University of Virginia Main Campus Penn State Main Campus Nova Southeastern University Northern Virginia Community College
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Overview

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
Location Charlottesville, VA University Park, PA Fort Lauderdale, FL Annandale, VA
Setting Small City Small City Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 25,924 50,399 20,877 53,810
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking #63 #171 #436
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website virginia.edu psu.edu nova.edu nvcc.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
Tuition (In State) $17,490 $19,672 $35,880 $5,550
Tuition (Out of State) $53,836 $39,626 $35,880 $10,928
Room & Board $13,940 $13,030 $15,950 $9,228
Avg Net Price $17,831 $27,450 $32,756 $8,242
Avg Grant Aid $29,675 $11,577 $23,120 $7,571
% Receiving Grant Aid 28% 36% 100% 52%

Admission

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
Applied 56,528 85,956 17,621 -
Admitted 9,533 46,605 12,805 -
Acceptance Rate 16.9% 54.2% 72.7% Open
Enrolled % 41.6% 19.4% 15.8% Open
Avg High School GPA 3.85 - 3.99 -
Typical High School Grades A- - A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High Challenging Unavailable
Applicant Competition Very High Low Low
ACT Range 32/34 27/32 21/28
SAT Range 1410/1530 1220/1400 1050/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) 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 Nova Northern Virginia Community College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1 17:1 30:1
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%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (212%)
  • Business (92%)
  • Health Professions (38%)
  • Social Sciences (38%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (32%)

Outcomes

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
Graduation Rate 94% 87% 43% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $77,200 $55,300 $53,300 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 69% 44% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $26,818 $25,100 $11,000
Median Loan Payment $201 $277 $259 $113

Diversity

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
% Men 15% 8% 19% 20%
% Women 17% 8% 47% 21%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 60% 69% 31% 35%
% Black 6% 4% 18% 18%
% Hispanic 6% 6% 32% 22%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 3% 2% 4%
% International 5% 11% 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 6% 2% 3% 2%

Students

 UVA Penn State Nova Northern Virginia Community College
% In-State 65% 51% 56% 99%
% Out-of-State 29% 40% 39% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UVA based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 25,924 students)

UVA vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UVA or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 12.5% more expensive to attend than UVA for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $17,490.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.9% higher at UVA than Penn State Main Campus ($53,836.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Virginia Main Campus than Penn State ($17,831 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 7% lower than costs at University of Virginia Main Campus ($13,030 vs. $13,940)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than University of Virginia Main Campus (36% vs. 28%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Virginia Main Campus students is 156.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($29,675 vs. $11,577)

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 (54.2%) than UVA (16.9%)

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/