Quad

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    Pennsylvania State has 11 pts more first-gen students than Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State (29% vs. 18%)

    First-generation students
  2. 2

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State is more diverse (index 0.63 vs. 0.58)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Pennsylvania State is a bit larger (42,284 vs. 30,923)

    Undergrads

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
Pennsylvania State42.3K
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State30.9K
Pell Grant share
Pennsylvania State14%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State15%
First-gen share
Pennsylvania State29%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State18%
Diversity index
Pennsylvania State0.58
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State0.63

Who they are

Men
Pennsylvania State53%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State57%
Part-time students
Pennsylvania State2%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State3%
Students 25 and older
Pennsylvania State2%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State2%

Race & ethnicity

Pennsylvania State
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
Pennsylvania State53%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State61%
First-years from other states
Pennsylvania State40%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State34%
First-years from abroad
Pennsylvania State7%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State5%
New transfer students this fall
Pennsylvania State347
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State1,063
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
Pennsylvania State4%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State13%

Campus

Pennsylvania State
Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Big Ten ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Atlantic Coast ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

All student numbers in the table

Sources:College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why