FDU vs. Penn State

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

FDU Penn State
Location Madison, NJ University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,823 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #342 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fdu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

FDU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $33,264 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $33,264 $35,946
Room & Board $15,588 $12,744
Avg Net Price $21,408 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $28,436 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

FDU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,421 85,784
Admitted 3,940 47,360
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 11.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/30 26/31
SAT Range 1040/1310 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

Academics

FDU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

FDU Penn State
Graduation Rate 55% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

FDU Penn State
% Men 41% 53%
% Women 59% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 58% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

FDU Penn State
% In-State 81% 51%
% Out-of-State 18% 40%

Campus

FDU 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 FDU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,823 students)

FDU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, FDU or Penn State?

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is 81.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($33,264.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.1% higher at Penn State than Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham ($35,946.00 vs. $33,264.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Penn State ($21,408 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 22.3% lower than costs at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham ($12,744 vs. $15,588)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students is 182.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($28,436 vs. $10,066)

FDU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 168 points higher than at FDU (1034)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at FDU (23)
  • FDU has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than Penn State (55.2%)

FDU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FDU 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 FDU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (87% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $2,400 more per year than FDU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,900)
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • FDU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FDU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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