Gordon College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Wenham, MA Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,610 954
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #343
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gordon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $27,000 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $24,562
Room & Board $12,650 $13,448
Avg Net Price $25,250 $19,070
Avg Grant Aid $15,740 $8,108
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 71%

Admission

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,579 1,848
Admitted 1,516 1,741
Acceptance Rate 58.8% 94.2%
Enrolled % 21.6% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.58 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/32 20/28
SAT Range 1168/1370 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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 74% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 5% 1%
% Women 15% 4%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 64%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 8% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Gordon College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 35% 93%
% Out-of-State 58% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Gordon College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,610 students vs. 954 students)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Gordon College is 84.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($27,000.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.9% higher at Gordon College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($27,000.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Gordon College ($19,070 vs. $25,250)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Gordon College are 6.3% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($12,650 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gordon College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gordon College students is 94.1% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($15,740 vs. $8,108)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Gordon College 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 Gordon College .

  • The average SAT score at Gordon College (1112) is 93 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Gordon College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman Gordon College students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than Gordon College (58.8%)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gordon College 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 Gordon College.

  • The graduation rate at Gordon College is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (74% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $10,000 more per year than Gordon College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,300)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Gordon College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley 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/