CMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

Should I go to Central Michigan University or Penn State Greater Allegheny? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CMU or Penn State Greater Allegheny 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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Central Michigan University vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny comparison
Central Michigan University Penn State Greater Allegheny College 3 College 4
Central Michigan University
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Overview

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Mount Pleasant, MI McKeesport, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 14,399 361
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #802
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmich.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $13,740 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $13,740 $23,316
Room & Board $12,178 $12,022
Avg Net Price $15,826 $14,933
Avg Grant Aid $10,638 $10,867
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 88%

Admission

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,102 581
Admitted 16,474 550
Acceptance Rate 91% 94.7%
Enrolled % 12.4% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.47 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27
SAT Range 960/1210 1020/1215
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

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 54% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 13% 0%
% Women 17% 0%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 61%
% Black 8% 19%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 CMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 88% 68%
% Out-of-State 8% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Central Michigan University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (14,399 students vs. 361 students)

CMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CMU or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 0.6% more expensive to attend than CMU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $13,740.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 69.7% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Central Michigan University ($23,316.00 vs. $13,740.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than CMU ($14,933 vs. $15,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Greater Allegheny are 1.3% lower than costs at Central Michigan University ($12,022 vs. $12,178)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Central Michigan University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (95% vs. 88%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 2.2% larger than aid received Central Michigan University ($10,867 vs. $10,638)

CMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Central Michigan University (1049) is 106 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming CMU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (94.7%) than CMU (91%)

CMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CMU or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and CMU.

  • The graduation rate at CMU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (54% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $10,800 more per year than CMU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,500)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than CMU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than CMU graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 54%)

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