Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Shenango

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

 Holy Cross College Penn State Shenango
Location Notre Dame, IN Sharon, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 547 332
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 Shenango
Tuition (In State) $34,100 $13,568
Tuition (Out of State) $34,100 $22,876
Room & Board $12,300 $13,448
Avg Net Price $24,214 $14,895
Avg Grant Aid $24,582 $11,211
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 98%

Admission

 Holy Cross College Penn State Shenango
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,670 209
Admitted 1,231 190
Acceptance Rate 73.7% 90.9%
Enrolled % 20.3% 38.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Difficult Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31
SAT Range 980/1300 1040/1230
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 Shenango
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • History (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Work and Family Studies (32%)
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross College Penn State Shenango
Graduation Rate 13% 44%
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 Shenango
% Men 0% 7%
% Women 2% 15%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 85%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 10% 2%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 Holy Cross College Penn State Shenango
% In-State 35% 86%
% Out-of-State 61% 14%

Campus

 Holy Cross College Penn State Shenango
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 Shenango based on total student enrollment (547 students vs. 332 students)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Shenango Cost Comparison

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

  • Holy Cross College is 151.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Shenango for in-state tuition ($34,100.00 vs. $13,568.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Holy Cross College than Penn State Shenango ($34,100.00 vs. $22,876.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Shenango than Holy Cross College ($14,895 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 Shenango ($12,300 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Shenango than Holy Cross College (98% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Holy Cross College students is 119.3% larger than aid received Penn State Shenango ($24,582 vs. $11,211)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Shenango Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Holy Cross College (984) is 42 points higher than at Penn State Shenango (942)
  • Incoming Holy Cross College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State Shenango (21)
  • Penn State Shenango has a higher acceptance rate (90.9%) than Holy Cross College (73.7%)

Holy Cross College vs. Penn State Shenango Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Shenango is higher than Holy Cross College (44% vs. 13%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Shenango 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 Shenango graduates. ($23,125 vs. $26,818)
  • Holy Cross College graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Shenango graduates. ($239 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Shenango 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/