Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State

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

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
Location Bryn Athyn, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 285 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171
Religious Affiliation Other (none of the above) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynathyn.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $25,893 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $25,893 $39,626
Room & Board $13,851 $13,030
Avg Net Price $19,204 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $20,264 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 36%

Admission

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 593 85,956
Admitted 440 46,605
Acceptance Rate 74.2% 54.2%
Enrolled % 17% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 2.87 -
Typical High School Grades B- -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1060/1298 1220/1400
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (38%)
  • General Studies (19%)
  • History (17%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
Graduation Rate 30% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $26,818
Median Loan Payment N/A $277

Diversity

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
% Men 3% 8%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 62% 69%
% Black 21% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State
% In-State 82% 51%
% Out-of-State 18% 40%

Campus

 Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 285 students)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bryn Athyn College or Penn State?

  • Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is 31.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($25,893.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53% higher at Penn State than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($39,626.00 vs. $25,893.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church than Penn State ($19,204 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 6.3% lower than costs at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($13,030 vs. $13,851)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church than Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bryn Athyn College of the New Church students is 75% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($20,264 vs. $11,577)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 250 points higher than at Bryn Athyn College (952)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Bryn Athyn College (21)
  • Bryn Athyn College has a higher acceptance rate (74.2%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church (87% vs. 30%)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bryn Athyn College 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/