William & Mary vs. Penn State

Deciding between William & Mary and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

William & Mary
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • William & Mary Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • William & Mary 9,818
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • William & Mary Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • William & Mary #63
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • William & Mary -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • William & Mary Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • William & Mary
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • William & Mary $25,914
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • William & Mary $51,038
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • William & Mary $16,182
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • William & Mary $19,686
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • William & Mary $23,144
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • William & Mary 43%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • William & Mary 17,798
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • William & Mary 6,064
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • William & Mary 34.1%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • William & Mary 26.6%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • William & Mary 1470
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • William & Mary 33
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • William & Mary 3.85
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • William & Mary A
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • William & Mary Exceptional
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • William & Mary High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • William & Mary 32/34
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • William & Mary 1400/1530
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • William & Mary Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • William & Mary Jan 2, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

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

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • William & Mary 41%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • William & Mary High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • William & Mary No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • William & Mary 8%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • William & Mary 7%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • William & Mary 9%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • William & Mary 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • William & Mary 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • William & Mary 4%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • William & Mary 6%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • William & Mary 6%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • William & Mary 37%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than William & Mary based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 9,818 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, VA (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • William & Mary is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: William & Mary 12:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

William & Mary vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William & Mary or Penn State? 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 William & Mary than Penn State ($19,686 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 10.6% lower than at William & Mary ($14,474 vs. $16,182).
  • William & Mary is 25.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $5,270 more per year; $25,914.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 22.1% higher at William & Mary than at Penn State Main Campus (about $9,248 more per year; $51,038.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William & Mary than at Penn State Main Campus (43% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William & Mary students is 104.2% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($23,144 vs. $11,336).

William & Mary vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, William & Mary or Penn State? 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 and William & Mary.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at William & Mary (1470) is 140 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming William & Mary students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William & Mary 1400/1530; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William & Mary 32/34; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: William & Mary - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: William & Mary Jan 2, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than William & Mary (34.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 26.6% at William & Mary vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

William & Mary vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for William & Mary and Penn State? 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).

  • William & Mary's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from William & Mary earn a median of about $13,400 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($68,700 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, William & Mary graduates have a $7,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($19,500 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, William & Mary graduates have an estimated $76 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.