The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) vs Virginia Tech

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two prestigious universities: The Pennsylvania State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Both institutions offer a world-class education, but they also possess unique characteristics that set them apart. As you embark on your academic journey, it's essential to understand these differences to make an informed decision about your future. Dive into our comprehensive comparison table to explore the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two esteemed universities. Discover which institution aligns best with your aspirations and goals, ensuring that you make the choice that leads to a fulfilling and successful academic experience.

	The Pennsylvania State University	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	Blacksburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	56.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1210 - 1410
ACT range	25 - 31	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	35.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	42,054
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	23,746
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	6,758
Yield rate	18.0%	28.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848	In state: $30,104 Out of state: $49,787
Average net price	$24,012	$20,109
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	In state: $11,750 Out of state: $30,829
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	Room/dormitory: $5,890 Meal plan: $4,736
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	58.0% Average amount $8,018
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	40.0% Average amount $5,316
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	9.0% Average amount $20,728

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	29,760 Men 57.3% Women 42.7%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	7,519 Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.1%	39.5%
International students	10.5%	9.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	20,547	9,471
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia	Virginia Maryland New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Engineering Business Family and Consumer Sciences Computer and Information Science Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	86.6%
Dropout rate	25.7%	12.3%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,295 Year 2: $120,549 Year 3: $125,527 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,798 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $120,289 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,190 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $113,544 Mining and Mineral Engineering (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $98,403 Year 3: $108,754 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,372 Year 2: $100,455 Year 3: $107,874 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,574 Year 2: $99,291 Year 3: $104,370 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,304 Year 2: $97,855 Year 3: $104,056 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,512 Year 2: $94,864 Year 3: $103,461 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $98,201 Nuclear Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $89,155 Year 3: $94,780	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,287 Year 2: $113,246 Year 3: $125,427 Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,383 Year 2: $96,691 Year 3: $106,931 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,448 Year 2: $88,678 Year 3: $96,747 Veterinary Medicine (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $76,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $93,580 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,104 Year 2: $78,488 Year 3: $90,164 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,370 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $87,658 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $81,573 Year 2: $91,211 Year 3: $84,990 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,460 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $83,712 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,805 Year 2: $73,272 Year 3: $82,738 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,610 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $81,822

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The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) vs Virginia Tech

The Pennsylvania State University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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