ECSU vs. Penn State

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

 ECSU Penn State
Location Willimantic, CT University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 3,979 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #451 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website easternct.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ECSU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $6,664 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $9,996 $39,626
Room & Board $17,258 $13,030
Avg Net Price $21,205 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $9,865 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 36%

Admission

 ECSU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,275 85,956
Admitted 4,249 46,605
Acceptance Rate 80.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 14.5% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1110/1320 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

 ECSU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 ECSU Penn State
Graduation Rate 49% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $237 $277

Diversity

 ECSU Penn State
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 2% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 9% 2%

Students

 ECSU Penn State
% In-State 89% 51%
% Out-of-State 11% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than ECSU based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 3,979 students)

ECSU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECSU or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 195.2% more expensive to attend than ECSU for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $6,664.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 296.4% higher at Penn State than Eastern Connecticut State University ($39,626.00 vs. $9,996.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Connecticut State University than Penn State ($21,205 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 32.4% lower than costs at Eastern Connecticut State University ($13,030 vs. $17,258)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Connecticut State University than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 17.4% larger than aid received Eastern Connecticut State University ($11,577 vs. $9,865)

ECSU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • ECSU has a higher acceptance rate (80.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

ECSU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECSU 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 ECSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Eastern Connecticut State University (87% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $8,900 more per year than ECSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,400)
  • Eastern Connecticut State University students graduate with a $3,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • ECSU graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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