Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State

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

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
Location Gwynedd Valley, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,091 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #315 #167
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gmc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $36,052 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $36,052 $35,946
Room & Board $13,056 $12,744
Avg Net Price $28,122 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $24,512 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,063 85,784
Admitted 621 47,360
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 24.5% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 1015/1235 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 Aug 20, 2025

Academics

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (46%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Biology (2%)
  • Psychology (2%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
Graduation Rate 52% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
% Men 27% 53%
% Women 73% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 57% 69%
% Black 23% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 10% 2%

Students

Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State
% In-State 80% 51%
% Out-of-State 20% 40%

Campus

Gwynedd Mercy College 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 Gwynedd Mercy College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,091 students)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Gwynedd Mercy College or Penn State?

  • Gwynedd Mercy College is 96.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($36,052.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.3% higher at Gwynedd Mercy College than Penn State Main Campus ($36,052.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Gwynedd Mercy College ($26,747 vs. $28,122)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 2.4% lower than costs at Gwynedd Mercy College ($12,744 vs. $13,056)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gwynedd Mercy College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gwynedd Mercy College students is 143.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($24,512 vs. $10,066)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 278 points higher than at Gwynedd Mercy College (924)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Gwynedd Mercy College (20)
  • Gwynedd Mercy College has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gwynedd Mercy 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 Gwynedd Mercy College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Gwynedd Mercy College (87% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Gwynedd Mercy College earn on average $1,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($56,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Gwynedd Mercy College students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Gwynedd Mercy College graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Gwynedd Mercy College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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