LRC vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 LRC Penn State Harrisburg
Location Pittsburgh, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,618 4,651
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #677 #595
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website laroche.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 LRC Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $31,960 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $31,960 $26,112
Room & Board $13,268 $15,870
Avg Net Price $24,638 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $21,167 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 54%

Admission

 LRC Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,063 10,296
Admitted 1,601 9,924
Acceptance Rate 77.6% 96.4%
Enrolled % 10.7% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.48
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30
SAT Range 1055/1235 1110/1320
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 Harrisburg
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 (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 LRC Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 51% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 4% 5%
% Women 8% 6%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 59%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 2% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 16% 10%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

 LRC Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 75% 46%
% Out-of-State 5% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than LRC based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 2,618 students)

LRC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LRC or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • La Roche College is 107.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($31,960.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.4% higher at LRC than Penn State Harrisburg ($31,960.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than LRC ($22,406 vs. $24,638)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at La Roche College are 19.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,268 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at La Roche College than Penn State Harrisburg (96% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by La Roche College students is 151.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($21,167 vs. $8,421)

LRC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 104 points higher than at LRC (939)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at LRC (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at LRC (3.2)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than LRC (77.6%)

LRC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LRC or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and LRC.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than La Roche College (63% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • LRC graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/