Dickinson College vs. Penn State

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

 Dickinson College Penn State
Location Carlisle, PA University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,217 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dickinson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Dickinson College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $62,900 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $62,900 $39,626
Room & Board $16,500 $13,030
Avg Net Price $40,242 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $40,209 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 36%

Admission

 Dickinson College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,185 85,956
Admitted 3,095 46,605
Acceptance Rate 43.1% 54.2%
Enrolled % 17% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 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

 Dickinson College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Ethnic Studies (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Dickinson College Penn State
Graduation Rate 84% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $217 $277

Diversity

 Dickinson College Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Dickinson College Penn State
% In-State 22% 51%
% Out-of-State 61% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Dickinson College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,217 students)

Dickinson College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Dickinson College is 219.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($62,900.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 58.7% higher at Dickinson College than Penn State Main Campus ($62,900.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Dickinson College ($27,450 vs. $40,242)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.6% lower than costs at Dickinson College ($13,030 vs. $16,500)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dickinson College than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dickinson College students is 247.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($40,209 vs. $11,577)

Dickinson College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Dickinson College (43.1%)

Dickinson College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dickinson 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 Dickinson College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Dickinson College (87% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Dickinson College earn on average $6,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($62,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Dickinson College students graduate with a $5,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Dickinson College graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($217 vs. $277)
  • More Dickinson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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