LRC vs. Penn State

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

 LRC Penn State
Location Pittsburgh, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,618 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #677 #171
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website laroche.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 LRC Penn State
Tuition (In State) $31,960 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $31,960 $39,626
Room & Board $13,268 $13,030
Avg Net Price $24,638 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $21,167 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 36%

Admission

 LRC Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,063 85,956
Admitted 1,601 46,605
Acceptance Rate 77.6% 54.2%
Enrolled % 10.7% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1055/1235 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 Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 LRC Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 LRC Penn State
Graduation Rate 51% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 LRC Penn State
% Men 4% 8%
% Women 8% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 62% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 2% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 16% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

 LRC Penn State
% In-State 75% 51%
% Out-of-State 5% 40%

Campus

 LRC Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No 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 LRC based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,618 students)

LRC vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LRC or Penn State?

  • La Roche College is 62.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($31,960.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24% higher at Penn State than La Roche College ($39,626.00 vs. $31,960.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at La Roche College than Penn State ($24,638 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.8% lower than costs at La Roche College ($13,030 vs. $13,268)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at La Roche College than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by La Roche College students is 82.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($21,167 vs. $11,577)

LRC vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 263 points higher than at LRC (939)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at LRC (20)
  • LRC has a higher acceptance rate (77.6%) than Penn State (54.2%)

LRC vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LRC 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 LRC.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than La Roche College (87% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $11,000 more per year than LRC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,300)
  • La Roche College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • LRC graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former LRC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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