William & Mary vs. Penn State

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

William & Mary Penn State
Location Williamsburg, VA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 9,654 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #61 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

William & Mary Penn State
Tuition (In State) $17,434 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $40,089 $35,946
Room & Board $13,828 $12,744
Avg Net Price $25,688 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $15,134 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 44%

Admission

William & Mary Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,087 85,784
Admitted 6,059 47,360
Acceptance Rate 33.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 27.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 32/34 26/31
SAT Range 1375/1520 1210/1390
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 2, 2025

Academics

William & Mary Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Business (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

William & Mary Penn State
Graduation Rate 91% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $201 $277

Diversity

William & Mary Penn State
% Men 42% 53%
% Women 58% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

William & Mary Penn State
% In-State 58% 51%
% Out-of-State 36% 40%

Campus

William & Mary Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than William & Mary based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 9,654 students)

William & Mary vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William & Mary or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 5.4% more expensive to attend than William & Mary for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $17,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.5% higher at William & Mary than Penn State Main Campus ($40,089.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of William and Mary than Penn State ($25,688 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 8.5% lower than costs at College of William and Mary ($12,744 vs. $13,828)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of William and Mary than Penn State Main Campus (66% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of William and Mary students is 50.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($15,134 vs. $10,066)

William & Mary vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at College of William and Mary (1353) is 151 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming William & Mary students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than William & Mary (33.5%)

William & Mary vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, William & Mary 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 William & Mary.

  • The graduation rate at William & Mary is higher than Penn State Main Campus (91% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from College of William and Mary earn on average $13,400 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($68,700 vs. $55,300)
  • College of William and Mary students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • William & Mary graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More William & Mary graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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