MHC vs. Penn State

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

 MHC Penn State
Location South Hadley, MA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,330 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MHC Penn State
Tuition (In State) $63,904 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $63,904 $39,626
Room & Board $18,838 $13,030
Avg Net Price $35,782 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $41,823 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 36%

Admission

 MHC Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,030 85,956
Admitted 1,926 46,605
Acceptance Rate 38.3% 54.2%
Enrolled % 30.5% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 31/33 27/32
SAT Range 1350/1500 1220/1400
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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 MHC Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 MHC Penn State
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,206 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $219 $277

Diversity

 MHC Penn State
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 4% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 45% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 26% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 MHC Penn State
% In-State 17% 51%
% Out-of-State 58% 40%

Campus

 MHC 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 MHC based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,330 students)

MHC vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or Penn State?

  • Mount Holyoke College is 224.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($63,904.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.3% higher at MHC than Penn State Main Campus ($63,904.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than MHC ($27,450 vs. $35,782)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 44.6% lower than costs at Mount Holyoke College ($13,030 vs. $18,838)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Holyoke College than Penn State Main Campus (75% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Holyoke College students is 261.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($41,823 vs. $11,577)

MHC vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than MHC (38.3%)

MHC vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MHC 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 MHC.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Mount Holyoke College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $5,300 more per year than MHC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,000)
  • Mount Holyoke College students graduate with a $5,612 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,206 vs. $26,818)
  • MHC graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($219 vs. $277)
  • More MHC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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