Manhattan College vs. Penn State

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

Manhattan College Penn State
Location Riverdale, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 3,575 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #170 #167
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website manhattan.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Manhattan College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $44,100 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $44,100 $35,946
Room & Board $18,440 $12,744
Avg Net Price $29,535 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $31,882 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

Manhattan College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,930 85,784
Admitted 8,172 47,360
Acceptance Rate 82.3%Open 55.2%
Enrolled % 9.2%Open 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/30 26/31
SAT Range 1140/1330 1210/1390
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 31, 2025

Academics

Manhattan College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (25%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Manhattan College Penn State
Graduation Rate 72% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Manhattan College Penn State
% Men 57% 53%
% Women 43% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 57% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 21% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

Manhattan College Penn State
% In-State 72% 51%
% Out-of-State 25% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Manhattan College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 3,575 students)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Manhattan College or Penn State?

  • Manhattan College is 140.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($44,100.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.7% higher at Manhattan College than Penn State Main Campus ($44,100.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Manhattan College ($26,747 vs. $29,535)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 44.7% lower than costs at Manhattan College ($12,744 vs. $18,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Manhattan College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Manhattan College students is 216.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($31,882 vs. $10,066)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 105 points higher than at Manhattan College (1097)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Manhattan College (25)
  • Manhattan College has a higher acceptance rate (82.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Manhattan College 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 Manhattan College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Manhattan College (87% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Manhattan College earn on average $11,400 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($66,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Manhattan College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Manhattan College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Manhattan College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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