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Princeton Duke Harvard Yale Barnard Cornell Johns Hopkins Georgetown Stanford UChicago NYU Brown| Columbia University in the City of New York | University of Pennsylvania | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Columbia | Penn | ||
| Location | New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 34,782 | 28,201 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #22 | #23 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | columbia.edu | upenn.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Columbia | Penn | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,570 | $56,212 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,570 | $56,212 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,286 | $17,888 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,058 | $26,123 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,061 | $57,175 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 52% | 46% |
Admission |
Columbia | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 60,879 | 54,588 | ||
| Admitted | 2,404 | 3,549 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.9% | 6.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.1% | 67.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.95 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1490/1580 | 1500/1570 | ||
| 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 1, 2025 | Jan 5, 2025 |
Academics |
Columbia | Penn | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Columbia | Penn | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $107,600 | $123,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 76% | 84% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $21,500 | $20,633 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $222 | $213 |
Diversity |
Columbia | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 46% | 44% | ||
| % Women | 54% | 56% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 38% | 45% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 7% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 10% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 15% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 3% |
Students |
Columbia | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 19% | 16% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 64% | 67% | ||
Campus |
Columbia | Penn | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than Penn based on total student enrollment (34,782 students vs. 28,201 students)
Columbia vs. Penn Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Columbia or Penn?
- Columbia University in the City of New York is 11.3% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($62,570.00 vs. $56,212.00)
- Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at Columbia than University of Pennsylvania ($62,570.00 vs. $56,212.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia University in the City of New York than Penn ($22,058 vs. $26,123)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia University in the City of New York are 9.8% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($16,286 vs. $17,888)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia University in the City of New York than University of Pennsylvania (52% vs. 46%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 6.8% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($61,061 vs. $57,175)
Columbia vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Columbia or Penn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn or Columbia .
- The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 16 points higher than at Penn (1457)
- Incoming Columbia students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Penn (33)
- Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Columbia (3.91)
- Penn has a higher acceptance rate (6.5%) than Columbia (3.9%)
Columbia vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Columbia or Penn? 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 and Columbia.
- The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Columbia University in the City of New York (96% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $16,000 more per year than Columbia graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $107,600)
- University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $867 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($20,633 vs. $21,500)
- Penn graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($213 vs. $222)
- More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 76%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/