OWU vs. Penn State

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

 OWU Penn State
Location Delaware, OH University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,410 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #356 #167
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website owu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 OWU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $49,262 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $49,262 $35,946
Room & Board $13,745 $12,744
Avg Net Price $27,311 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $36,757 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

 OWU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,324 85,784
Admitted 2,778 47,360
Acceptance Rate 52.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 16.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 23/30 26/31
SAT Range 1123/1358 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 Mar 1, 2025

Academics

 OWU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 OWU Penn State
Graduation Rate 61% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 OWU Penn State
% Men 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 70% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 OWU Penn State
% In-State 66% 51%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

 OWU 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 OWU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,410 students)

OWU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, OWU or Penn State?

  • Ohio Wesleyan University is 168.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($49,262.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37% higher at OWU than Penn State Main Campus ($49,262.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than OWU ($26,747 vs. $27,311)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 7.9% lower than costs at Ohio Wesleyan University ($12,744 vs. $13,745)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ohio Wesleyan University than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ohio Wesleyan University students is 265.2% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($36,757 vs. $10,066)

OWU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than OWU (52.2%)

OWU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, OWU 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 OWU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Ohio Wesleyan University (87% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $5,700 more per year than OWU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,600)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than OWU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than OWU graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More OWU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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