Kenyon vs. Penn State

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

 Kenyon Penn State
Location Gambier, OH University Park, PA
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 2,184 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #59 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kenyon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Kenyon Penn State
Tuition (In State) $69,030 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $69,030 $39,626
Room & Board $14,410 $13,030
Avg Net Price $44,470 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $39,330 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 36%

Admission

 Kenyon Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,218 85,956
Admitted 2,524 46,605
Acceptance Rate 30.7% 54.2%
Enrolled % 18% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 31/34 27/32
SAT Range 1360/1500 1220/1400
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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Kenyon Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • English and Literature (17%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Kenyon Penn State
Graduation Rate 87% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $196 $277

Diversity

 Kenyon Penn State
% Men 7% 8%
% Women 12% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Kenyon Penn State
% In-State 12% 51%
% Out-of-State 67% 40%

Campus

 Kenyon 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 Kenyon based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,184 students)

Kenyon vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Kenyon or Penn State?

  • Kenyon College is 250.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($69,030.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 74.2% higher at Kenyon than Penn State Main Campus ($69,030.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Kenyon ($27,450 vs. $44,470)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 10.6% lower than costs at Kenyon College ($13,030 vs. $14,410)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kenyon College than Penn State Main Campus (83% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kenyon College students is 239.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($39,330 vs. $11,577)

Kenyon vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Kenyon College (1335) is 133 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Kenyon students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Kenyon (30.7%)

Kenyon vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kenyon 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 Kenyon.

  • The graduation rate at Kenyon is the same as at Penn State Main Campus (87% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $2,400 more per year than Kenyon graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,900)
  • Kenyon College students graduate with a $7,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Kenyon graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($196 vs. $277)
  • More Kenyon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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