IU vs. Penn State

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

 IU Penn State
Location Bloomington, IN University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 47,005 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #200 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iub.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $10,012 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $37,685 $35,946
Room & Board $12,228 $12,744
Avg Net Price $16,234 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $10,336 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 44%

Admission

 IU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,080 85,784
Admitted 41,272 47,360
Acceptance Rate 82.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 23.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 26/31
SAT Range 1180/1400 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

Academics

 IU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 IU Penn State
Graduation Rate 72% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

 IU Penn State
% Men 51% 53%
% Women 49% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 IU Penn State
% In-State 51% 51%
% Out-of-State 42% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than IU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 47,005 students)

IU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 83.5% more expensive to attend than IU for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $10,012.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.8% higher at IU than Penn State Main Campus ($37,685.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Bloomington than Penn State ($16,234 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Bloomington are 4.2% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,228 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Bloomington than Penn State Main Campus (74% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Indiana University Bloomington students is 2.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,336 vs. $10,066)

IU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 3 points higher than at IU (1199)
  • Incoming IU students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Penn State (27)
  • IU has a higher acceptance rate (82.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

IU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU 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 IU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Indiana University Bloomington (87% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Indiana University Bloomington earn on average $900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Indiana University Bloomington students graduate with a $4,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • IU graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More IU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

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