Meredith vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
Location Raleigh, NC Middletown, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,576 4,651
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #344 #595
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website meredith.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $43,816 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $43,816 $26,112
Room & Board $12,920 $15,870
Avg Net Price $23,405 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $32,095 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 54%

Admission

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,563 10,296
Admitted 1,167 9,924
Acceptance Rate 74.7% 96.4%
Enrolled % 27.8% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30 26/30
SAT Range 1110/1260 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
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 (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 59% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 2% 5%
% Women 15% 6%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 71% 59%
% Black 10% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 5% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Meredith Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 83% 46%
% Out-of-State 10% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Meredith based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 1,576 students)

Meredith vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Meredith or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Meredith College is 184.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($43,816.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67.8% higher at Meredith than Penn State Harrisburg ($43,816.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Meredith ($22,406 vs. $23,405)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Meredith College are 22.8% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,920 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Meredith College than Penn State Harrisburg (99% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Meredith College students is 281.1% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($32,095 vs. $8,421)

Meredith vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Meredith 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 Meredith .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 7 points higher than at Meredith (1036)
  • Incoming Meredith students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Meredith students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than Meredith (74.7%)

Meredith vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Meredith 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 Meredith.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Meredith College (63% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Meredith graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/