Penn State vs. Brown

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

 Penn State Brown
Location University Park, PA Providence, RI
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 50,399 11,516
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #11
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu brown.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Brown
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $65,656
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $65,656
Room & Board $13,030 $16,598
Avg Net Price $27,450 $26,608
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $58,378
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 51%

Admission

 Penn State Brown
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 51,316
Admitted 46,605 2,686
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 5.2%
Enrolled % 19.4% 63.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.94
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 27/32 34/35
SAT Range 1220/1400 1500/1570
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 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Brown
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Brown
Graduation Rate 87% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $87,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $155

Diversity

 Penn State Brown
% Men 8% 15%
% Women 8% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 43%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 11% 12%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

 Penn State Brown
% In-State 51% 3%
% Out-of-State 40% 81%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Brown based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 11,516 students)

Penn State vs. Brown Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Brown?

  • Brown University is 233.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($65,656.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.7% higher at Brown than Penn State Main Campus ($65,656.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Brown University than Penn State ($26,608 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 27.4% lower than costs at Brown University ($13,030 vs. $16,598)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Brown University than Penn State Main Campus (51% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Brown University students is 404.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($58,378 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. Brown Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Brown University (1457) is 255 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Brown students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Brown (5.2%)

Penn State vs. Brown Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Brown? 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 Brown and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Brown is higher than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Brown University earn on average $32,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($87,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Brown University students graduate with a $11,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($15,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Brown graduates are paying $122 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($155 vs. $277)
  • More Brown graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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