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Princeton Duke Cornell Harvard Johns Hopkins Georgetown Stanford Brown Northwestern Dartmouth Yale Carnegie Mellon| Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | University of Pennsylvania | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
| Location | New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 983 | 28,711 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #23 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | cooper.edu | upenn.edu | ||
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Costs |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $44,550 | $58,620 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $44,550 | $58,620 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,650 | $18,496 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $28,199 | $26,017 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $39,187 | $59,721 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 100% | 48% |
Admission |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 1,790 | 59,465 | ||
| Admitted | 341 | 3,489 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 19.1% | 5.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 52.8% | 69.2% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.75 | 3.95 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/34 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1400/1520 | 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 8, 2026 | Jan 5, 2026 |
Academics |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
| Graduation Rate | 76% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $64,000 | $123,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 75% | 84% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $16,662 | $20,633 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $172 | $213 |
Diversity |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 6% | 26% | ||
| % Women | 2% | 33% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 32% | 45% | ||
| % Black | 3% | 7% | ||
| % Hispanic | 9% | 10% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 9% | 4% | ||
| % International | 16% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 12% | 3% |
Students |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 51% | 14% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 39% | 69% | ||
Campus |
Cooper Union | Penn | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | No | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Cooper Union based on total student enrollment (28,711 students vs. 983 students)
Cooper Union vs. Penn Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Cooper Union or Penn?
- University of Pennsylvania is 31.6% more expensive to attend than Cooper Union for in-state tuition ($58,620.00 vs. $44,550.00)
- Out of state tuition is 31.6% higher at Penn than Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ($58,620.00 vs. $44,550.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Pennsylvania than Cooper Union ($26,017 vs. $28,199)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pennsylvania are 0.8% lower than costs at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ($18,496 vs. $18,650)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art than University of Pennsylvania (100% vs. 48%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 52.4% larger than aid received Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ($59,721 vs. $39,187)
Cooper Union vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Cooper Union or Penn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn or Cooper Union .
- Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Cooper Union (3.75)
- Cooper Union has a higher acceptance rate (19.1%) than Penn (5.9%)
Cooper Union vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Cooper Union 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 Cooper Union.
- The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (96% vs. 76%)
- Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $59,600 more per year than Cooper Union graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $64,000)
- Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art students graduate with a $3,971 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($16,662 vs. $20,633)
- Cooper Union graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($172 vs. $213)
- More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cooper Union students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 75%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/