ECSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 ECSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Willimantic, CT Center Valley, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,979 954
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #451
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website easternct.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ECSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $6,664 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $9,996 $24,562
Room & Board $17,258 $13,448
Avg Net Price $21,205 $19,070
Avg Grant Aid $9,865 $8,108
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 71%

Admission

 ECSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,275 1,848
Admitted 4,249 1,741
Acceptance Rate 80.5% 94.2%
Enrolled % 14.5% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/28
SAT Range 1110/1320 1140/1315
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 Lehigh Valley
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 (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 ECSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 49% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 1% 1%
% Women 2% 4%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 64%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

 ECSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 89% 93%
% Out-of-State 11% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Eastern Connecticut State University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (3,979 students vs. 954 students)

ECSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECSU or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 119.4% more expensive to attend than ECSU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $6,664.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 145.7% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Eastern Connecticut State University ($24,562.00 vs. $9,996.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than ECSU ($19,070 vs. $21,205)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 28.3% lower than costs at Eastern Connecticut State University ($13,448 vs. $17,258)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Connecticut State University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Connecticut State University students is 21.7% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($9,865 vs. $8,108)

ECSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at ECSU (3.4)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than ECSU (80.5%)

ECSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECSU or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Lehigh Valley and ECSU.

  • The graduation rate at ECSU is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (49% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • ECSU graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/