Hamilton College vs. Penn State

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

 Hamilton College Penn State
Location Clinton, NY University Park, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,048 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #25 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hamilton.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Hamilton College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $65,090 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $65,090 $39,626
Room & Board $16,690 $13,030
Avg Net Price $26,021 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $54,359 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 36%

Admission

 Hamilton College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,643 85,956
Admitted 1,135 46,605
Acceptance Rate 11.8% 54.2%
Enrolled % 40.7% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/35 27/32
SAT Range 1410/1550 1220/1400
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 5, 2026

Academics

 Hamilton College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Foreign Languages (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Hamilton College Penn State
Graduation Rate 89% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $79,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,760 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $162 $277

Diversity

 Hamilton College Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 63% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

 Hamilton College Penn State
% In-State 27% 51%
% Out-of-State 63% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Hamilton College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,048 students)

Hamilton College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Hamilton College is 230.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($65,090.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.3% higher at Hamilton College than Penn State Main Campus ($65,090.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Hamilton College than Penn State ($26,021 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 28.1% lower than costs at Hamilton College ($13,030 vs. $16,690)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hamilton College than Penn State Main Campus (51% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hamilton College students is 369.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($54,359 vs. $11,577)

Hamilton College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Hamilton College (11.8%)

Hamilton College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Hamilton 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 Hamilton College.

  • The graduation rate at Hamilton College is higher than Penn State Main Campus (89% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Hamilton College earn on average $23,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($79,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Hamilton College students graduate with a $11,058 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($15,760 vs. $26,818)
  • Hamilton College graduates are paying $115 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($162 vs. $277)
  • More Hamilton 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/