BSU vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Ball State University or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BSU or Penn State Beaver 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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Ball State University vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Ball State University Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Ball State University
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Overview

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Location Muncie, IN Monaca, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,777 522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #547
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $8,434 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $25,918 $23,086
Room & Board $10,904 $12,254
Avg Net Price $12,615 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $11,418 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 87%

Admission

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,859 1,707
Admitted 15,761 1,591
Acceptance Rate 68.9% 93.2%
Enrolled % 22.1% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 20/28
SAT Range 1090/1260 1050/1260
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

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 55% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 BSU Penn State Beaver
% Men 35% 55%
% Women 65% 45%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 81% 75%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 BSU Penn State Beaver
% In-State 90% 63%
% Out-of-State 9% 34%

Campus

 BSU Penn State Beaver
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Ball State University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (19,777 students vs. 522 students)

BSU vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or Penn State Beaver?

  • Penn State Beaver is 63.9% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $8,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.3% higher at BSU than Penn State Beaver ($25,918.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than Penn State Beaver ($12,615 vs. $18,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ball State University are 12.4% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($10,904 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University than Penn State Beaver (97% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 23.1% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($11,418 vs. $9,274)

BSU vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ball State University (1070) is 71 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming BSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than BSU (68.9%)

BSU vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at BSU is higher than Penn State Beaver (55% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $12,800 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,500)
  • Ball State University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • BSU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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