Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly 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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Virginia Tech UD Rutgers Caltech UConn Pitt UMass UCSB UB San Diego State NC State Michigan StateCalifornia Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo | Penn State Main Campus | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
Location | San Luis Obispo, CA | University Park, PA | ||
Setting | Small Suburban | Small City | ||
Enrollment | 22,000 | 50,028 | ||
Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
National Ranking | #155 | #167 | ||
Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
Website | calpoly.edu | psu.edu | ||
Team Colors |
Costs |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $18,368 | ||
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Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $35,946 | ||
Room & Board | $16,449 | $12,744 | ||
Avg Net Price | $19,184 | $26,747 | ||
Avg Grant Aid | $10,065 | $10,066 | ||
% Receiving Grant Aid | 42% | 44% |
Admission |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
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Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
Applied | 58,774 | 85,784 | ||
Admitted | 17,885 | 47,360 | ||
Acceptance Rate | 30.4% | 55.2% | ||
Enrolled % | 28.6% | 19.5% | ||
Avg High School GPA | 4.0 | - | ||
Typical High School Grades | A/A+ | - | ||
Admissions Standards | Very High | Very High | ||
Applicant Competition | High | Low | ||
ACT Range | 26/32 | 26/31 | ||
SAT Range | 1220/1410 | 1210/1390 | ||
Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2024 |
Academics |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
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Student to Faculty Ratio | 20:1 | 15:1 | ||
Popular Majors |
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Outcomes |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
Graduation Rate | 75% | 87% | ||
Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $69,400 | $55,300 | ||
Making Student Loan Payments | 85% | 69% | ||
Median Student Loan Debt | $18,666 | $26,818 | ||
Median Loan Payment | $193 | $277 |
Diversity |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
% Men | 51% | 53% | ||
% Women | 49% | 47% | ||
Racial Diversity | High | Medium | ||
HBCU | No | No | ||
% White | 57% | 69% | ||
% Black | 1% | 4% | ||
% Hispanic | 16% | 6% | ||
% Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
% Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
% Two or More Races | 7% | 3% | ||
% International | 2% | 11% | ||
% Unknown Race | 5% | 2% |
Students |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
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% In-State | 83% | 51% | ||
% Out-of-State | 16% | 40% | ||
Campus |
Cal Poly | Penn State | ||
Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
Learn More | Details | Details |
Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or Penn State?
Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or Penn State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State or Cal Poly .
Which is better, Cal Poly 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 Cal Poly.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/