Penn College vs. Penn State

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

 Penn College Penn State
Location Williamsport, PA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 4,241 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pct.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $15,450 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $23,190 $35,946
Room & Board $12,130 $12,744
Avg Net Price $23,030 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $7,254 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 69% 44%

Admission

 Penn College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 85,784
Admitted - 47,360
Acceptance Rate Open 55.2%
Enrolled % Open 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.05 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering Technology (23%)
  • Health Professions (22%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (14%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Construction Trades (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn College Penn State
Graduation Rate 42% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $222 $277

Diversity

 Penn College Penn State
% Men 64% 53%
% Women 36% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 88% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Penn College Penn State
% In-State 88% 51%
% Out-of-State 12% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Penn College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 4,241 students)

Penn College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 18.9% more expensive to attend than Penn College for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $15,450.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55% higher at Penn State than Pennsylvania College of Technology ($35,946.00 vs. $23,190.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pennsylvania College of Technology than Penn State ($23,030 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Technology are 5.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,130 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pennsylvania College of Technology than Penn State Main Campus (69% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 38.8% larger than aid received Pennsylvania College of Technology ($10,066 vs. $7,254)

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

Penn College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn 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 Penn College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Pennsylvania College of Technology (87% vs. 42%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $10,900 more per year than Penn College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,400)
  • Pennsylvania College of Technology students graduate with a $5,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn College graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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