Notre Dame College vs. Penn State

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

Notre Dame College Penn State
Location Cleveland, OH University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,446 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website notredamecollege.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Notre Dame College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $31,876 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $31,876 $39,626
Room & Board $11,398 $13,030
Avg Net Price $20,606 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $25,926 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 36%

Admission

Notre Dame College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,348 85,956
Admitted 2,690 46,605
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 54.2%
Enrolled % 8.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.09 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/22 27/32
SAT Range 890/1100 1220/1400
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Notre Dame College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Notre Dame College Penn State
Graduation Rate 47% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Notre Dame College Penn State
% Men 4% 8%
% Women 4% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 60% 69%
% Black 25% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

Notre Dame College Penn State
% In-State 68% 51%
% Out-of-State 24% 40%

Campus

Notre Dame College 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 Notre Dame College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 1,446 students)

Notre Dame College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Notre Dame College or Penn State?

  • Notre Dame College is 62% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($31,876.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.3% higher at Penn State than Notre Dame College ($39,626.00 vs. $31,876.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Notre Dame College than Penn State ($20,606 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Notre Dame College are 14.3% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,398 vs. $13,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Notre Dame College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Notre Dame College students is 123.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($25,926 vs. $11,577)

Notre Dame College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 303 points higher than at Notre Dame College (899)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Notre Dame College (19)
  • Notre Dame College has a higher acceptance rate (80.3%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Notre Dame College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Notre Dame College 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 Notre Dame College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Notre Dame College (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $13,400 more per year than Notre Dame College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,900)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Notre Dame College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 48%)

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