How do UVA and Penn compare in net cost for middle-income families?

For a Virginia resident, UVA will often have the lower net cost for middle-income families, because its in-state tuition is far below Penn’s private-university price before aid. Penn can become comparably priced, or occasionally less expensive, for families with substantial demonstrated financial need because it meets demonstrated need with grant aid rather than including loans in its standard aid packages. The actual result depends heavily on family income, assets, home equity, number of children in college, and the colleges’ separate aid formulas.

UVA’s AccessUVA program also commits to meeting demonstrated financial need for eligible Virginia undergraduates, but an aid package may include a student loan component and work-study alongside grants. Its low resident cost means a family that receives modest need-based aid, or no need-based aid, is likely to pay much less at UVA than at Penn.

Compare the two schools’ official net price calculator results using the same current tax and asset information. Do not rely only on published tuition: at Penn, institutional grant eligibility can change the picture dramatically, while at UVA, Virginia residency is the major built-in price advantage.