Kenyon vs. Penn State

Deciding between Kenyon College 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.

Kenyon College
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Kenyon Gambier, OH
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Kenyon Distant Rural
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Kenyon 2,249
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Kenyon Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Kenyon #62
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Kenyon -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Kenyon Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Kenyon
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Kenyon $71,520
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Kenyon $71,520
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Kenyon $15,640
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Kenyon $46,859
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Kenyon $40,731
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Kenyon 82%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Kenyon 7,726
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Kenyon 2,397
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Kenyon 31%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Kenyon 18.3%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Kenyon 1430
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Kenyon 32
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Kenyon 3.84
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Kenyon A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Kenyon Exceptional
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Kenyon High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Kenyon 31/33
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Kenyon 1358/1503
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Kenyon Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Kenyon Jan 15, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

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

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Kenyon 44%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Kenyon 56%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Kenyon Low
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Kenyon No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Kenyon 73%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Kenyon 4%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Kenyon 4%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Kenyon 7%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Kenyon 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Kenyon 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Kenyon 4%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Kenyon 5%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Kenyon 3%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Kenyon 12%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Kenyon 78%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Kenyon College in Gambier, OH 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 Kenyon based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 2,249 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Kenyon College is located in Gambier, OH (Distant Rural setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Kenyon College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Kenyon College 9:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Kenyon vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Kenyon 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 Kenyon ($27,889 vs. $46,859).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 7.5% lower than at Kenyon College ($14,474 vs. $15,640).
  • Kenyon College is 246.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $50,876 more per year; $71,520.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 71.1% higher at Kenyon than at Penn State Main Campus (about $29,730 more per year; $71,520.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Kenyon College than at Penn State Main Campus (82% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kenyon College students is 259.3% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($40,731 vs. $11,336).

Kenyon vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Kenyon 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 Kenyon.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Kenyon College (1430) is 100 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming Kenyon students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (32 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Kenyon College 1358/1503; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Kenyon College 31/33; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Kenyon - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Kenyon Jan 15, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Kenyon (31%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18.3% at Kenyon vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Kenyon vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Kenyon 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).

  • The graduation rate at Kenyon is the same as at Penn State Main Campus (87% vs. 87%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $2,400 more per year than Kenyon graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $52,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Kenyon College graduates have a $7,818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($19,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Kenyon graduates have an estimated $81 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.