Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

Should I go to Holy Cross College or Penn State Greater Allegheny? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Holy Cross College or Penn State Greater Allegheny 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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Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny comparison
Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Notre Dame, IN McKeesport, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 434 363
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hcc-nd.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $33,500 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $33,500 $23,086
Room & Board $12,000 $12,254
Avg Net Price $22,650 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $24,381 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 85%

Admission

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 944 672
Admitted 719 589
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 87.6%
Enrolled % 28.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1203/1373 1040/1300
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 Jul 28, 2025

Academics

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 13% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $239 $277

Diversity

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 57% 61%
% Women 43% 39%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 65% 61%
% Black 11% 19%
% Hispanic 10% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 35% 68%
% Out-of-State 61% 30%

Campus

 Holy Cross College Penn State Greater Allegheny
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

  • Holy Cross College is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (434 students vs. 363 students)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross College or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Holy Cross College is 142.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($33,500.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.1% higher at Holy Cross College than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($33,500.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Holy Cross College ($19,505 vs. $22,650)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 2.1% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($12,000 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Holy Cross College (85% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Holy Cross College students is 137.4% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($24,381 vs. $10,269)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Holy Cross College (984) is 41 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Holy Cross College (22)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than Holy Cross College (76.2%)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross College or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and Holy Cross College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Greater Allegheny is higher than Holy Cross College (47% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $11,500 more per year than Holy Cross College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,800)
  • Holy Cross College students graduate with a $3,693 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($23,125 vs. $26,818)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($239 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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