Queens College vs. Penn State

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

 Queens College Penn State
Location Flushing, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 16,481 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #348 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Queens College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $39,626
Room & Board $16,464 $13,030
Avg Net Price $5,339 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $8,904 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 36%

Admission

 Queens College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,800 85,956
Admitted 14,252 46,605
Acceptance Rate 68.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 14.6% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1100/1320 1220/1400
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

Academics

 Queens College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Queens College Penn State
Graduation Rate 53% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $113 $277

Diversity

 Queens College Penn State
% Men 5% 8%
% Women 10% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 29% 69%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 29% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Queens College Penn State
% In-State 76% 51%
% Out-of-State 0% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Queens College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 16,481 students)

Queens College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Queens College or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 183.9% more expensive to attend than Queens College for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 166.3% higher at Penn State than CUNY Queens College ($39,626.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY Queens College than Penn State ($5,339 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.4% lower than costs at CUNY Queens College ($13,030 vs. $16,464)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY Queens College than Penn State Main Campus (81% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 30% larger than aid received CUNY Queens College ($11,577 vs. $8,904)

Queens College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 92 points higher than at Queens College (1110)
  • Queens College has a higher acceptance rate (68.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Queens College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Queens College 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 Queens College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than CUNY Queens College (87% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,500 more per year than Queens College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,800)
  • CUNY Queens College students graduate with a $15,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($11,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Queens College graduates are paying $164 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($113 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Queens College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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