Duke vs. Penn State

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

 Duke Penn State
Location Durham, NC University Park, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 18,023 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #3 #167
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website duke.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Duke Penn State
Tuition (In State) $60,435 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $60,435 $35,946
Room & Board $16,651 $12,744
Avg Net Price $23,694 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $57,444 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 44%

Admission

 Duke Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,016 85,784
Admitted 3,174 47,360
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 55.2%
Enrolled % 55% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 34/35 26/31
SAT Range 1490/1570 1210/1390
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, 2025

Academics

 Duke Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Human Services (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Duke Penn State
Graduation Rate 94% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $108,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $77 $277

Diversity

 Duke Penn State
% Men 45% 53%
% Women 55% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 46% 69%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Duke Penn State
% In-State 12% 51%
% Out-of-State 74% 40%

Campus

 Duke 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 Duke based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 18,023 students)

Duke vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Duke or Penn State?

  • Duke University is 229% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,435.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.1% higher at Duke than Penn State Main Campus ($60,435.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Duke University than Penn State ($23,694 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 30.7% lower than costs at Duke University ($12,744 vs. $16,651)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than Duke University (44% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Duke University students is 470.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($57,444 vs. $10,066)

Duke vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Duke University (1450) is 248 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Duke students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Duke (6.3%)

Duke vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Duke 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 Duke.

  • The graduation rate at Duke is higher than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Duke University earn on average $53,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($108,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Duke University students graduate with a $19,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($7,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Duke graduates are paying $200 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($77 vs. $277)
  • More Duke 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/