Menlo vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Comparable Facts

Compare Menlo College in Atherton, CA with Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

Menlo College is larger than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design based on total student enrollment (810 students vs. 414 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Menlo College is located in Atherton, CA (Large Suburban setting); Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is in Lancaster, PA (Small City setting).
• Menlo College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Menlo College 14:1; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design 10:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design are 5.5% lower than at Menlo College ($17,230 vs. $18,236).
• Out-of-state tuition is 66.8% higher at Menlo than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (about $21,480 more per year; $53,630 vs. $32,150).
• The same share of students receive grant aid at Menlo College as at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (100% vs. 100%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 161.4% larger than aid received by Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students ($39,174 vs. $14,989).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Menlo and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
• Typical fall application deadline: Menlo Apr 1, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at Menlo average a 3.3 high school GPA, 0.17 higher than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (3.13).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 5.3% at Menlo vs. 32.5% at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Menlo College graduates have a $5,938 lower median loan debt than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates ($21,062 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, Menlo graduates have an estimated $62 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates ($217 vs. $279).
• More Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation (58% vs. 55%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.