Howard vs. Penn State

Should I go to Howard University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard 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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Howard University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Howard University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Howard University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Howard Penn State
Location Washington, DC University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 12,886 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard Penn State
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $35,946
Room & Board $15,880 $12,744
Avg Net Price $28,279 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 44%

Admission

 Howard Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 85,784
Admitted 10,253 47,360
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 24.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 20/26 26/31
SAT Range 1050/1290 1210/1390
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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

 Howard Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

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

Diversity

 Howard Penn State
% Men 29% 53%
% Women 71% 47%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Medium
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 69%
% Black 91% 4%
% Hispanic 0% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Howard Penn State
% In-State 1% 51%
% Out-of-State 91% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Howard based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 12,886 students)

Howard vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or Penn State?

  • Howard University is 66.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($30,584.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Penn State than Howard University ($35,946.00 vs. $30,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Howard ($26,747 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 24.6% lower than costs at Howard University ($12,744 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 99.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($20,063 vs. $10,066)

Howard vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 97 points higher than at Howard (1105)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Howard (24)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Howard University (87% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $3,500 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,800)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans 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/