Holy Cross vs. Penn State

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

 Holy Cross Penn State
Location Worcester, MA University Park, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 3,035 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #171
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross Penn State
Tuition (In State) $60,050 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $60,050 $39,626
Room & Board $17,750 $13,030
Avg Net Price $35,455 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $41,140 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 36%

Admission

 Holy Cross Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,670 85,956
Admitted 1,829 46,605
Acceptance Rate 21.1% 54.2%
Enrolled % 45% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 28/32 27/32
SAT Range 1250/1420 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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Holy Cross Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross Penn State
Graduation Rate 91% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $80,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $284 $277

Diversity

 Holy Cross Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 70% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 Holy Cross Penn State
% In-State 35% 51%
% Out-of-State 61% 40%

Campus

 Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 3,035 students)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross or Penn State?

  • College of the Holy Cross is 205.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,050.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.5% higher at Holy Cross than Penn State Main Campus ($60,050.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Holy Cross ($27,450 vs. $35,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 36.2% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($13,030 vs. $17,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Holy Cross than Penn State Main Campus (58% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Holy Cross students is 255.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($41,140 vs. $11,577)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Holy Cross (21.1%)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross.

  • The graduation rate at Holy Cross is higher than Penn State Main Campus (91% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from College of the Holy Cross earn on average $25,100 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($80,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than Holy Cross graduates. ($277 vs. $284)
  • More Holy Cross graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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