Holy Cross vs. Penn State Abington

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

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Location Worcester, MA Abington, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,035 3,095
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #744
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $60,050 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $60,050 $24,832
Room & Board $17,750 $11,912
Avg Net Price $35,455 $17,561
Avg Grant Aid $41,140 $9,516
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 70%

Admission

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,670 6,575
Admitted 1,829 6,051
Acceptance Rate 21.1% 92%
Enrolled % 45% 15%
Avg High School GPA - 3.42
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 28/32 21/27
SAT Range 1250/1420 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 15, 2026

Academics

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 91% 44%
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 Abington
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 0% 0%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 50%
% Black 4% 13%
% Hispanic 10% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
% In-State 35% 68%
% Out-of-State 61% 21%

Campus

 Holy Cross Penn State Abington
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Abington is larger than than Holy Cross based on total student enrollment (3,095 students vs. 3,035 students)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Holy Cross is 308.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Abington for in-state tuition ($60,050.00 vs. $14,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at Holy Cross than Penn State Abington ($60,050.00 vs. $24,832.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than Holy Cross ($17,561 vs. $35,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 49% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($11,912 vs. $17,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than College of the Holy Cross (70% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Holy Cross students is 332.3% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($41,140 vs. $9,516)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Abington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (92%) than Holy Cross (21.1%)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross or Penn State Abington? 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 Abington and Holy Cross.

  • The graduation rate at Holy Cross is higher than Penn State Abington (91% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from College of the Holy Cross earn on average $25,100 more per year than Penn State Abington graduates after ten years. ($80,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Abington students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State Abington 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 Abington 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/