MCLA vs. Penn State Abington

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Penn State Abington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or Penn State Abington 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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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs. Penn State Abington comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Penn State Abington College 3 College 4
Penn State Abington
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Overview

 MCLA Penn State Abington
Location North Adams, MA Abington, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 933 3,095
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #744
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MCLA Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $24,832
Room & Board $14,634 $11,912
Avg Net Price $17,705 $17,561
Avg Grant Aid $9,606 $9,516
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 70%

Admission

 MCLA Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,543 6,575
Admitted 1,425 6,051
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 92%
Enrolled % 13.4% 15%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21 21/27
SAT Range 960/1180 1090/1310
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 MCLA Penn State Abington
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 MCLA Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 53% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $254 $277

Diversity

 MCLA Penn State Abington
% Men 3% 0%
% Women 7% 0%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 50%
% Black 9% 13%
% Hispanic 8% 10%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 MCLA Penn State Abington
% In-State 55% 68%
% Out-of-State 41% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Abington is larger than than MCLA based on total student enrollment (3,095 students vs. 933 students)

MCLA vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or Penn State Abington?

  • Penn State Abington is 1,325.6% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 148.9% higher at Penn State Abington than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($24,832.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than MCLA ($17,561 vs. $17,705)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 22.9% lower than costs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($11,912 vs. $14,634)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Penn State Abington (99% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students is 0.9% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($9,606 vs. $9,516)

MCLA vs. Penn State Abington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1016) is 41 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming MCLA students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Abington students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at MCLA (3.2)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Penn State Abington (92%)

MCLA vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or Penn State Abington? 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 Abington and MCLA.

  • The graduation rate at MCLA is higher than Penn State Abington (53% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington earn on average $18,200 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $2,159 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Abington graduates. ($24,659 vs. $26,818)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($254 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Abington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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