Elon vs. Penn State

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

 Elon Penn State
Location Elon, NC University Park, PA
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 7,123 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #116 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website elon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Elon Penn State
Tuition (In State) $41,734 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $41,734 $35,946
Room & Board $13,886 $12,744
Avg Net Price $41,527 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $13,880 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 44%

Admission

 Elon Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,551 85,784
Admitted 13,069 47,360
Acceptance Rate 74.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 12.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.65 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/30 26/31
SAT Range 1170/1360 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 10, 2025

Academics

 Elon Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Communication (19%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Elon Penn State
Graduation Rate 82% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $240 $277

Diversity

 Elon Penn State
% Men 40% 53%
% Women 60% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 82% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Elon Penn State
% In-State 18% 51%
% Out-of-State 80% 40%

Campus

 Elon 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 Elon based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 7,123 students)

Elon vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Elon or Penn State?

  • Elon University is 127.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($41,734.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.1% higher at Elon than Penn State Main Campus ($41,734.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Elon ($26,747 vs. $41,527)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 9% lower than costs at Elon University ($12,744 vs. $13,886)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Elon University than Penn State Main Campus (68% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Elon University students is 37.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($13,880 vs. $10,066)

Elon vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Elon University (1211) is 9 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Elon students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Penn State (27)
  • Elon has a higher acceptance rate (74.5%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Elon vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Elon 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 Elon.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Elon University (87% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Elon University earn on average $900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Elon University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • Elon graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Elon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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