Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Beaver

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

 Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State Beaver
Location Gwynedd Valley, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,091 522
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #315
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gmc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $36,052 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $36,052 $23,086
Room & Board $13,056 $12,254
Avg Net Price $28,122 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $24,512 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 87%

Admission

 Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,063 1,707
Admitted 621 1,591
Acceptance Rate 58.4% 93.2%
Enrolled % 24.5% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/28
SAT Range 1015/1235 1050/1260
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 Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (46%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Biology (2%)
  • Psychology (2%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 52% 47%
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 Beaver
% Men 27% 55%
% Women 73% 45%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 75%
% Black 23% 9%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 10% 1%

Students

 Gwynedd Mercy College Penn State Beaver
% In-State 80% 63%
% Out-of-State 20% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Gwynedd Mercy College is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (2,091 students vs. 522 students)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

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

  • Gwynedd Mercy College is 160.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($36,052.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.2% higher at Gwynedd Mercy College than Penn State Beaver ($36,052.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Gwynedd Mercy College ($18,113 vs. $28,122)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 6.5% lower than costs at Gwynedd Mercy College ($12,254 vs. $13,056)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gwynedd Mercy College than Penn State Beaver (100% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gwynedd Mercy College students is 164.3% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($24,512 vs. $9,274)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Beaver (999) is 75 points higher than at Gwynedd Mercy College (924)
  • Incoming Penn State Beaver students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Gwynedd Mercy College (20)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than Gwynedd Mercy College (58.4%)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gwynedd Mercy College or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and Gwynedd Mercy College.

  • The graduation rate at Gwynedd Mercy College is higher than Penn State Beaver (52% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Gwynedd Mercy College earn on average $1,300 more per year than Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Gwynedd Mercy College graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver 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/