Howard vs. Penn State

Deciding between Howard University and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Howard University
Penn State Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Howard Washington, DC
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Howard Large City
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Howard 14,890
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Howard Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Howard #310
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Howard -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Howard Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Howard
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Howard $35,810
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Howard $35,810
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Howard $17,322
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Howard $33,368
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Howard $21,262
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Howard 99%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Howard 34,211
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Howard 14,144
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Howard 41.3%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Howard 19.4%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Howard 1210
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Howard 25
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Howard 3.66
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Howard A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Howard Challenging
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Howard Low
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Howard 22/28
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Howard 1090/1320
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Howard Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Howard Feb 15, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Howard 13:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Howard
    • Business (20%)
    • Communication (20%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Psychology (9%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Howard 63%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Howard $51,800
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Howard 33%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Howard $27,000
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Howard $279
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Howard 30%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Howard 70%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Howard Very Low
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Howard Yes
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Howard 2%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Howard 1%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Howard 91%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Howard 0%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Howard 1%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Howard 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Howard 0%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Howard 5%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Howard 0%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Howard 2%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Howard 94%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Howard Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Howard Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Howard Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Howard No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Howard No
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Howard University in Washington, DC with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Howard based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 14,890 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Howard University is located in Washington, DC (Large City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Howard University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Howard University 13:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Howard vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Howard ($27,889 vs. $33,368).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 16.4% lower than at Howard University ($14,474 vs. $17,322).
  • Howard University is 73.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $15,166 more per year; $35,810.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 16.7% higher at Penn State than at Howard University (about $5,980 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $35,810.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Howard University than at Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 87.6% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($21,262 vs. $11,336).

Howard vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Howard.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 120 points higher than at Howard (1210).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 25 at Howard).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Howard University 1090/1320; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Howard University 22/28; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Howard - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Howard Feb 15, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Howard (41.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.4% at Howard vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Howard vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Howard and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Howard University's (63%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $3,500 more per year than Howard graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $51,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than Howard graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, Penn State graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Howard graduates ($277 vs. $279).
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.