ONU vs. Penn State

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

 ONU Penn State
Location Ada, OH University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 3,015 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #211 #167
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website onu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ONU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $35,480 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $35,480 $35,946
Room & Board $12,900 $12,744
Avg Net Price $27,398 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $24,235 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 44%

Admission

 ONU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,625 85,784
Admitted 3,602 47,360
Acceptance Rate 54.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 18.5% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.78 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/30 26/31
SAT Range 1160/1340 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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 ONU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 ONU Penn State
Graduation Rate 65% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $71,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 ONU Penn State
% Men 52% 53%
% Women 48% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 84% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 1% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 ONU Penn State
% In-State 83% 51%
% Out-of-State 16% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than ONU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 3,015 students)

ONU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ONU or Penn State?

  • Ohio Northern University is 93.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($35,480.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.3% higher at Penn State than Ohio Northern University ($35,946.00 vs. $35,480.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than ONU ($26,747 vs. $27,398)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.2% lower than costs at Ohio Northern University ($12,744 vs. $12,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ohio Northern University than Penn State Main Campus (97% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ohio Northern University students is 140.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($24,235 vs. $10,066)

ONU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 44 points higher than at ONU (1158)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at ONU (26)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than ONU (54.4%)

ONU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ONU 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 ONU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Ohio Northern University (87% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Ohio Northern University earn on average $15,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($71,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than ONU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than ONU graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More ONU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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