Barnard vs. Penn State

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

 Barnard Penn State
Location New York, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 3,442 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #35 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website barnard.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Barnard Penn State
Tuition (In State) $60,478 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $60,478 $35,946
Room & Board $19,364 $12,744
Avg Net Price $26,009 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $53,817 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 44%

Admission

 Barnard Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,009 85,784
Admitted 1,056 47,360
Acceptance Rate 8.8% 55.2%
Enrolled % 66% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 32/34 26/31
SAT Range 1440/1550 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 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

 Barnard Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Barnard Penn State
Graduation Rate 92% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,847 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $184 $277

Diversity

 Barnard Penn State
% Men 3% 53%
% Women 97% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 53% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Barnard Penn State
% In-State 28% 51%
% Out-of-State 60% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Barnard based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 3,442 students)

Barnard vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barnard or Penn State?

  • Barnard College is 229.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,478.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.2% higher at Barnard than Penn State Main Campus ($60,478.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Barnard College than Penn State ($26,009 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 51.9% lower than costs at Barnard College ($12,744 vs. $19,364)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Barnard College than Penn State Main Campus (45% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Barnard College students is 434.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($53,817 vs. $10,066)

Barnard vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Barnard College (1357) is 155 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Barnard students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Barnard (8.8%)

Barnard vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Barnard 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 Barnard.

  • The graduation rate at Barnard is higher than Penn State Main Campus (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Barnard College earn on average $11,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($66,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Barnard College students graduate with a $8,971 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($17,847 vs. $26,818)
  • Barnard graduates are paying $93 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($184 vs. $277)
  • More Barnard graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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