Manhattan College vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
Location Riverdale, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,495 4,651
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #152 #595
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website manhattan.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $46,100 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $46,100 $26,112
Room & Board $18,440 $15,870
Avg Net Price $28,349 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $34,438 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 54%

Admission

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,432 10,296
Admitted 8,188 9,924
Acceptance Rate 78.5%Open 96.4%
Enrolled % 8.4%Open 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/31 26/30
SAT Range 1150/1340 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 31, 2026

Academics

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (25%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 72% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 7% 5%
% Women 9% 6%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 57% 59%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 21% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 10%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

Manhattan College Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 74% 46%
% Out-of-State 24% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Manhattan College based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 3,495 students)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Manhattan College is 199.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($46,100.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 76.5% higher at Manhattan College than Penn State Harrisburg ($46,100.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Manhattan College ($22,406 vs. $28,349)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 16.2% lower than costs at Manhattan College ($15,870 vs. $18,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Manhattan College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Manhattan College students is 309% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($34,438 vs. $8,421)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Manhattan College 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 Manhattan College .

  • The average SAT score at Manhattan College (1097) is 54 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Manhattan College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Manhattan College students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than Manhattan College (78.5%)

Manhattan College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Manhattan College 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 Manhattan College.

  • The graduation rate at Manhattan College is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (72% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Manhattan College earn on average $11,400 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Manhattan College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Manhattan College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg 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/