NJIT vs. Penn State

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

 NJIT Penn State
Location Newark, NJ University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 13,007 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #214 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website njit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 NJIT Penn State
Tuition (In State) $15,616 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $32,528 $39,626
Room & Board $15,000 $13,030
Avg Net Price $16,736 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $17,447 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 36%

Admission

 NJIT Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,993 85,956
Admitted 9,362 46,605
Acceptance Rate 66.9% 54.2%
Enrolled % 18.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/32 27/32
SAT Range 1210/1470 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 Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 NJIT Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (38%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (14%)
  • Architecture (13%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 NJIT Penn State
Graduation Rate 54% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $67,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $237 $277

Diversity

 NJIT Penn State
% Men 18% 8%
% Women 8% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 69%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 22% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

 NJIT Penn State
% In-State 90% 51%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than NJIT based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 13,007 students)

NJIT vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NJIT or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 26% more expensive to attend than NJIT for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $15,616.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.8% higher at Penn State than New Jersey Institute of Technology ($39,626.00 vs. $32,528.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at New Jersey Institute of Technology than Penn State ($16,736 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 15.1% lower than costs at New Jersey Institute of Technology ($13,030 vs. $15,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at New Jersey Institute of Technology than Penn State Main Campus (90% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by New Jersey Institute of Technology students is 50.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($17,447 vs. $11,577)

NJIT vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at New Jersey Institute of Technology (1205) is 3 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at NJIT (26)
  • NJIT has a higher acceptance rate (66.9%) than Penn State (54.2%)

NJIT vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NJIT 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 NJIT.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than New Jersey Institute of Technology (87% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from New Jersey Institute of Technology earn on average $11,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($67,200 vs. $55,300)
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology students graduate with a $3,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • NJIT graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More NJIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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