Colby-Sawyer vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

Comparable Facts

Compare Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH with Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Colby Sawyer College is larger than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (972 students vs. 867 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Colby Sawyer College is located in New London, NH (Distant Rural setting); Penn State Lehigh Valley is in Center Valley, PA (Large Suburban setting).
• Colby Sawyer College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Lehigh Valley is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Colby Sawyer College 10:1; Penn State Lehigh Valley 14:1.

Colby-Sawyer vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colby-Sawyer or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Colby-Sawyer ($19,066 vs. $27,496).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 12% lower than at Colby Sawyer College ($15,274 vs. $17,364).
• Colby Sawyer College is 25.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Lehigh Valley (about $3,917 more per year; $19,125.00 vs. $15,208.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 32.8% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than at Colby Sawyer College (about $6,267 more per year; $25,392.00 vs. $19,125.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Colby Sawyer College than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Colby Sawyer College students is 22.4% larger than aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students ($11,098 vs. $9,065).

Colby-Sawyer vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colby-Sawyer or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Lehigh Valley and Colby-Sawyer.

• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsPenn State Lehigh Valley 1130/1320.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Colby-Sawyer - Test-free; Penn State Lehigh Valley - Test optional.
• Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than Colby-Sawyer (80.1%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 13% at Colby-Sawyer vs. 14% at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Colby-Sawyer vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Colby-Sawyer and Penn State Lehigh Valley? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Colby Sawyer College's six-year graduation rate (54%) is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley's (47%).
• Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn a median of about $10,400 more per year than Colby-Sawyer graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $44,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than Colby-Sawyer graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Colby-Sawyer graduates ($277 vs. $279).
• More Colby-Sawyer graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.