Holy Cross College vs. Penn State New Kensington

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

 Holy Cross College Penn State New Kensington
Location Notre Dame, IN Upper Burrell, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 547 456
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 New Kensington
Tuition (In State) $34,100 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $34,100 $23,316
Room & Board $12,300 $13,448
Avg Net Price $24,214 $19,294
Avg Grant Aid $24,582 $7,450
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 91%

Admission

 Holy Cross College Penn State New Kensington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,670 643
Admitted 1,231 600
Acceptance Rate 73.7% 93.3%
Enrolled % 20.3% 20.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 25/27
SAT Range 980/1300 1030/1270
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 New Kensington
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College Penn State New Kensington
Graduation Rate 13% 40%
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 New Kensington
% Men 0% 1%
% Women 2% 6%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 87%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 10% 2%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Holy Cross College Penn State New Kensington
% In-State 35% 85%
% Out-of-State 61% 13%

Campus

 Holy Cross College Penn State New Kensington
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

  • Holy Cross College is larger than than Penn State New Kensington based on total student enrollment (547 students vs. 456 students)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State New Kensington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Holy Cross College or Penn State New Kensington?

  • Holy Cross College is 146.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State New Kensington for in-state tuition ($34,100.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.3% higher at Holy Cross College than Penn State New Kensington ($34,100.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State New Kensington than Holy Cross College ($19,294 vs. $24,214)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Holy Cross College are 9.3% lower than costs at Penn State New Kensington ($12,300 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State New Kensington than Holy Cross College (91% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Holy Cross College students is 230% larger than aid received Penn State New Kensington ($24,582 vs. $7,450)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State New Kensington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Holy Cross College (984) is 4 points higher than at Penn State New Kensington (980)
  • Incoming Holy Cross College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State New Kensington (21)
  • Penn State New Kensington has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than Holy Cross College (73.7%)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State New Kensington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross College or Penn State New Kensington? 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 New Kensington and Holy Cross College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State New Kensington is higher than Holy Cross College (40% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Penn State New Kensington 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 New Kensington graduates. ($23,125 vs. $26,818)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($239 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State New Kensington 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/