Gordon College vs. Penn State Berks

Should I go to Gordon College or Penn State Berks? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Gordon College or Penn State Berks 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Gordon College vs. Penn State Berks comparison
Gordon College Penn State Berks College 3 College 4
Gordon College Penn State Berks
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Gordon College Penn State Berks
Location Wenham, MA Reading, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,610 1,944
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #343 #647
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gordon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Gordon College Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $27,000 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $26,112
Room & Board $12,650 $14,232
Avg Net Price $25,250 $22,450
Avg Grant Aid $15,740 $9,327
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 64%

Admission

Gordon College Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,579 5,844
Admitted 1,516 5,676
Acceptance Rate 58.8% 97.1%
Enrolled % 21.6% 10.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.58 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/32 26/29
SAT Range 1168/1370 1090/1310
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Gordon College Penn State Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Gordon College Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 74% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Gordon College Penn State Berks
% Men 5% 0%
% Women 15% 0%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 68%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 7% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 8% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Gordon College Penn State Berks
% In-State 35% 64%
% Out-of-State 58% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Berks is larger than than Gordon College based on total student enrollment (1,944 students vs. 1,610 students)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Gordon College or Penn State Berks?

  • Gordon College is 75.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($27,000.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.4% higher at Gordon College than Penn State Berks ($27,000.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Gordon College ($22,450 vs. $25,250)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Gordon College are 12.5% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($12,650 vs. $14,232)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gordon College than Penn State Berks (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gordon College students is 68.8% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($15,740 vs. $9,327)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Gordon College (1112) is 134 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Gordon College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Gordon College students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.1%) than Gordon College (58.8%)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gordon College or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and Gordon College.

  • The graduation rate at Gordon College is higher than Penn State Berks (74% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $10,000 more per year than Gordon College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,300)
  • Penn State Berks students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Gordon College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Berks graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Gordon College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Gordon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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