Denison vs. Penn State

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

 Denison Penn State
Location Granville, OH University Park, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,405 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #98 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website denison.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Denison Penn State
Tuition (In State) $64,000 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $64,000 $39,626
Room & Board $15,400 $13,030
Avg Net Price $42,177 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $34,723 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 36%

Admission

 Denison Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,580 85,956
Admitted 2,468 46,605
Acceptance Rate 16.9% 54.2%
Enrolled % 25.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.76 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 29/32 27/32
SAT Range 1300/1470 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 15, 2026

Academics

 Denison Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Denison Penn State
Graduation Rate 79% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Denison Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Denison Penn State
% In-State 21% 51%
% Out-of-State 65% 40%

Campus

 Denison Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No 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 Denison based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,405 students)

Denison vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Denison or Penn State?

  • Denison University is 225.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($64,000.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.5% higher at Denison than Penn State Main Campus ($64,000.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Denison ($27,450 vs. $42,177)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 18.2% lower than costs at Denison University ($13,030 vs. $15,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Denison University than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Denison University students is 199.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($34,723 vs. $11,577)

Denison vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Denison (16.9%)

Denison vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Denison 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 Denison.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Denison University (87% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Denison University earn on average $800 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($56,100 vs. $55,300)
  • Denison University students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Denison graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Denison graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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