WVU vs. Penn State

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

 WVU Penn State
Location Morgantown, WV University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 24,741 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #559 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wvu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WVU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $9,360 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $26,568 $35,946
Room & Board $11,618 $12,744
Avg Net Price $12,202 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $11,685 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 44%

Admission

 WVU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,206 85,784
Admitted 16,091 47,360
Acceptance Rate 88.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 28.4% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 26/31
SAT Range 1000/1220 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

 WVU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 WVU Penn State
Graduation Rate 57% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,001 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $248 $277

Diversity

 WVU Penn State
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 81% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 WVU Penn State
% In-State 42% 51%
% Out-of-State 57% 40%

Campus

 WVU 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 WVU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 24,741 students)

WVU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WVU or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 96.2% more expensive to attend than WVU for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $9,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.3% higher at Penn State than West Virginia University ($35,946.00 vs. $26,568.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia University than Penn State ($12,202 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia University are 9.7% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,618 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia University than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia University students is 16.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,685 vs. $10,066)

WVU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 124 points higher than at WVU (1078)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at WVU (24)
  • WVU has a higher acceptance rate (88.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

WVU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WVU 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 WVU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than West Virginia University (87% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,700 more per year than WVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,600)
  • West Virginia University students graduate with a $2,817 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($24,001 vs. $26,818)
  • WVU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($248 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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