Dartmouth vs. Penn State

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

 Dartmouth Penn State
Location Hanover, NH University Park, PA
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 6,746 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #12 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dartmouth.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Dartmouth Penn State
Tuition (In State) $63,684 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $63,684 $39,626
Room & Board $19,009 $13,030
Avg Net Price $17,322 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $66,480 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 36%

Admission

 Dartmouth Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,841 85,956
Admitted 1,797 46,605
Acceptance Rate 6.2% 54.2%
Enrolled % 67.1% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 27/32
SAT Range 1500/1570 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 Jan 3, 2026

Academics

 Dartmouth Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Ethnic Studies (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Dartmouth Penn State
Graduation Rate 95% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $104,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,461 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $139 $277

Diversity

 Dartmouth Penn State
% Men 17% 8%
% Women 17% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 49% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 Dartmouth Penn State
% In-State 2% 51%
% Out-of-State 80% 40%

Campus

 Dartmouth Penn State
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

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Dartmouth based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 6,746 students)

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dartmouth or Penn State?

  • Dartmouth College is 223.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($63,684.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 60.7% higher at Dartmouth than Penn State Main Campus ($63,684.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dartmouth College than Penn State ($17,322 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 45.9% lower than costs at Dartmouth College ($13,030 vs. $19,009)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dartmouth College than Penn State Main Campus (46% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dartmouth College students is 474.2% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($66,480 vs. $11,577)

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dartmouth College (1437) is 235 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Dartmouth students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Dartmouth (6.2%)

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth.

  • The graduation rate at Dartmouth is higher than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Dartmouth College earn on average $48,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($104,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Dartmouth College students graduate with a $13,357 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($13,461 vs. $26,818)
  • Dartmouth graduates are paying $138 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($139 vs. $277)
  • More Dartmouth graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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