OWU vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

OWU Penn State Harrisburg
Location Delaware, OH Middletown, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,410 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #356 #613
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website owu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

OWU Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $49,262 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $49,262 $25,854
Room & Board $13,745 $14,978
Avg Net Price $27,311 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $36,757 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 63%

Admission

OWU Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,324 9,925
Admitted 2,778 9,483
Acceptance Rate 52.2% 95.5%
Enrolled % 16.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/30 24/28
SAT Range 1123/1358 1100/1310
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 Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

OWU Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 61% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 44% 60%
% Women 56% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 59%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 6% 10%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

OWU Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 66% 46%
% Out-of-State 27% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than OWU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,410 students)

OWU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, OWU or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Ohio Wesleyan University is 220.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($49,262.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 90.5% higher at OWU than Penn State Harrisburg ($49,262.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than OWU ($22,096 vs. $27,311)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ohio Wesleyan University are 9% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,745 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ohio Wesleyan University than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ohio Wesleyan University students is 313.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($36,757 vs. $8,882)

OWU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman OWU students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than OWU (52.2%)

OWU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, OWU or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and OWU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Ohio Wesleyan University (63% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $5,700 more per year than OWU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,600)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than OWU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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/