Menlo vs. PAFA

Should I go to Menlo College or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Menlo or PAFA 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

San Francisco State San Jose State UOP UArts Sacramento State Temple
Menlo College vs. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
Menlo College Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Menlo PAFA
Location Atherton, CA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 800 172
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website menlo.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Menlo PAFA
Tuition (In State) $48,260 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $48,260 $40,500
Room & Board $16,250 $17,512
Avg Net Price $29,151 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $34,632 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 80%

Admission

 Menlo PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,357 183
Admitted 2,072 167
Acceptance Rate 61.7% 91.3%
Enrolled % 9.8% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Menlo PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (67%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

 Menlo PAFA
Graduation Rate 34% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,062 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $217 $274

Diversity

 Menlo PAFA
% Men 56% 31%
% Women 44% 69%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 29% 61%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 22% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 6%
% International 14% 6%
% Unknown Race 9% 7%

Students

 Menlo PAFA
% In-State 49% 53%
% Out-of-State 22% 42%

Campus

 Menlo PAFA
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

  • Menlo College is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (800 students vs. 172 students)

Menlo vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Menlo or PAFA?

  • Menlo College is 19.2% more expensive to attend than PAFA for in-state tuition ($48,260.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.2% higher at Menlo than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($48,260.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Menlo College than PAFA ($29,151 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Menlo College are 7.8% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($16,250 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 115.3% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($34,632 vs. $16,087)

Menlo vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Menlo (61.7%)

Menlo vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Menlo or PAFA? 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 PAFA and Menlo.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Menlo College (73% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Menlo College earn on average $31,900 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $22,000)
  • Menlo College students graduate with a $5,438 lower median federal student loan debt than PAFA graduates. ($21,062 vs. $26,500)
  • Menlo graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than PAFA graduates. ($217 vs. $274)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 55%)

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