LRC vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Pittsburgh, PA Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,068 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #796
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website laroche.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $31,334 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $31,334 $24,318
Room & Board $12,886 $12,984
Avg Net Price $24,233 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $20,948 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 78%

Admission

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,222 1,806
Admitted 3,137 1,699
Acceptance Rate 97.4% 94.1%
Enrolled % 4.1% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 22/26
SAT Range 970/1170 1100/1290
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, 2025

Academics

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 51% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 37% 57%
% Women 63% 43%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 62% 64%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 2% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 16% 0%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

 LRC Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 75% 93%
% Out-of-State 5% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • La Roche College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,068 students vs. 888 students)

LRC vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LRC or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • La Roche College is 114.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($31,334.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.9% higher at LRC than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($31,334.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than LRC ($18,142 vs. $24,233)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at La Roche College are 0.8% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($12,886 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at La Roche College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by La Roche College students is 111.9% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($20,948 vs. $9,886)

LRC vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 80 points higher than at LRC (939)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at LRC (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at LRC (3.2)
  • LRC has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94.1%)

LRC vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LRC or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Lehigh Valley and LRC.

  • The graduation rate at LRC is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (51% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • LRC graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/