Holy Cross vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
Location Worcester, MA Middletown, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,083 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #86 #613
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $57,600 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $57,600 $25,854
Room & Board $16,620 $14,978
Avg Net Price $34,679 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $39,615 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 63%

Admission

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,036 9,925
Admitted 2,558 9,483
Acceptance Rate 36.4% 95.5%
Enrolled % 35.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.48
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 28/32 24/28
SAT Range 1260/1430 1100/1310
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, 2025

Academics

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 91% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 45% 60%
% Women 55% 40%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 59%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

Holy Cross Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 35% 46%
% Out-of-State 61% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Holy Cross based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,083 students)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Holy Cross is 274.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($57,600.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 122.8% higher at Holy Cross than Penn State Harrisburg ($57,600.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Holy Cross ($22,096 vs. $34,679)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 11% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($14,978 vs. $16,620)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than College of the Holy Cross (63% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Holy Cross students is 346% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($39,615 vs. $8,882)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Holy Cross (36.4%)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Holy Cross is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (91% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from College of the Holy Cross earn on average $25,100 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($80,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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/