Meredith vs. Penn State

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

Meredith Penn State
Location Raleigh, NC University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 1,587 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #396 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website meredith.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Meredith Penn State
Tuition (In State) $42,420 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $42,420 $35,946
Room & Board $12,544 $12,744
Avg Net Price $23,259 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $29,825 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

Meredith Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,775 85,784
Admitted 1,299 47,360
Acceptance Rate 73.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 25.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/28 26/31
SAT Range 1140/1320 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Meredith Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Meredith Penn State
Graduation Rate 59% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Meredith Penn State
% Men 2% 53%
% Women 98% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 69%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Meredith Penn State
% In-State 80% 51%
% Out-of-State 13% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Meredith based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,587 students)

Meredith vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Meredith or Penn State?

  • Meredith College is 130.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($42,420.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18% higher at Meredith than Penn State Main Campus ($42,420.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Meredith College than Penn State ($23,259 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Meredith College are 1.6% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,544 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Meredith College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Meredith College students is 196.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($29,825 vs. $10,066)

Meredith vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 166 points higher than at Meredith (1036)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Meredith (23)
  • Meredith has a higher acceptance rate (73.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Meredith vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Meredith 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 Meredith.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Meredith College (87% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $15,300 more per year than Meredith graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,000)
  • Meredith College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Meredith graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Meredith students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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