Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
NYU Johns Hopkins Case Western Cornell Emory Penn State Altoona Penn Duke Georgetown WUSTL Swarthmore Caltech| Carnegie Mellon University | Penn State Berks | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
| Location | Pittsburgh, PA | Reading, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 15,596 | 1,944 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #43 | #647 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | cmu.edu | psu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,260 | $15,388 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,260 | $26,112 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,468 | $14,232 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $32,964 | $22,450 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $47,550 | $9,327 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 49% | 64% |
Admission |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 33,707 | 5,844 | ||
| Admitted | 3,843 | 5,676 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 11.4% | 97.1% | ||
| Enrolled % | 44.4% | 10.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.89 | 3.39 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Challenging | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | |||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | 26/29 | ||
| SAT Range | 1500/1570 | 1090/1310 | ||
| 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 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 5:1 | 13:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 55% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $102,700 | $55,300 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 91% | 69% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $26,250 | $26,818 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $271 | $277 |
Diversity |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 32% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 21% | 0% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 32% | 68% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 9% | ||
| % Hispanic | 8% | 11% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 2% | ||
| % International | 18% | 3% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 1% |
Students |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 9% | 64% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 71% | 30% | ||
Campus |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Berks | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (15,596 students vs. 1,944 students)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Berks?
- Carnegie Mellon University is 304.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($62,260.00 vs. $15,388.00)
- Out of state tuition is 138.4% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Penn State Berks ($62,260.00 vs. $26,112.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Carnegie Mellon ($22,450 vs. $32,964)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 22.7% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($14,232 vs. $17,468)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than Carnegie Mellon University (64% vs. 49%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Carnegie Mellon University students is 409.8% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($47,550 vs. $9,327)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Berks? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Berks or Carnegie Mellon .
- The average SAT score at Carnegie Mellon University (1448) is 470 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
- Incoming Carnegie Mellon students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
- Accepted freshman Carnegie Mellon students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
- Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.1%) than Carnegie Mellon (11.4%)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and Carnegie Mellon.
- The graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon is higher than Penn State Berks (87% vs. 55%)
- Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $47,400 more per year than Penn State Berks graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $55,300)
- Carnegie Mellon University students graduate with a $568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($26,250 vs. $26,818)
- Carnegie Mellon graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($271 vs. $277)
- More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 69%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/