Gettysburg College vs. Penn State

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

 Gettysburg College Penn State
Location Gettysburg, PA University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,854 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #75 #167
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gettysburg.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Gettysburg College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $61,760 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $61,760 $35,946
Room & Board $14,930 $12,744
Avg Net Price $33,882 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $43,239 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 44%

Admission

 Gettysburg College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,796 85,784
Admitted 3,264 47,360
Acceptance Rate 56.3% 55.2%
Enrolled % 19.7% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/32 26/31
SAT Range 1350/1440 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 15, 2025

Academics

 Gettysburg College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Business (11%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Gettysburg College Penn State
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $60,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $227 $277

Diversity

 Gettysburg College Penn State
% Men 48% 53%
% Women 52% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Gettysburg College Penn State
% In-State 25% 51%
% Out-of-State 63% 40%

Campus

 Gettysburg College 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 Gettysburg College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,854 students)

Gettysburg College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Gettysburg College or Penn State?

  • Gettysburg College is 236.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($61,760.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 71.8% higher at Gettysburg College than Penn State Main Campus ($61,760.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Gettysburg College ($26,747 vs. $33,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 17.2% lower than costs at Gettysburg College ($12,744 vs. $14,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gettysburg College than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gettysburg College students is 329.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($43,239 vs. $10,066)

Gettysburg College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Gettysburg College has a higher acceptance rate (56.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Gettysburg College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gettysburg College 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 Gettysburg College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Gettysburg College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Gettysburg College earn on average $5,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($60,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Gettysburg College students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Gettysburg College graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More Gettysburg College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 69%)

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