Penn State vs. William & Mary

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and William & Mary? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Main Campus
William & Mary

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • William & Mary Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • William & Mary 9,818
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • William & Mary Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • William & Mary #63
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • William & Mary -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • William & Mary Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • William & Mary

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • William & Mary $25,914
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • William & Mary $51,038
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • William & Mary $16,182
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • William & Mary $19,686
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • William & Mary $23,144
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • William & Mary 43%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • William & Mary 17,798
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • William & Mary 6,064
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • William & Mary 34.1%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • William & Mary 26.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • William & Mary 1470
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • William & Mary 33
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • William & Mary 3.85
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • William & Mary A
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • William & Mary Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • William & Mary High
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • William & Mary 32/34
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • William & Mary 1400/1530
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • William & Mary Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • William & Mary Jan 2, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • William & Mary 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • William & Mary
    • Social Sciences (24%)
    • Business (11%)
    • General Studies (10%)
    • English and Literature (8%)
    • History (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • William & Mary 91%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • William & Mary $68,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • William & Mary 85%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • William & Mary $19,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • William & Mary $201

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • William & Mary 41%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • William & Mary High
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • William & Mary No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • William & Mary 8%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • William & Mary 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • William & Mary 9%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • William & Mary 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • William & Mary 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • William & Mary 4%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • William & Mary 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • William & Mary 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • William & Mary 37%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • William & Mary No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • William & Mary No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • William & Mary Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than William & Mary based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 9,818 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); William & Mary is in Williamsburg, VA (Large Suburban setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. William & Mary is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; William & Mary 12:1.

Penn State vs. William & Mary Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or William & Mary? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at William & Mary than Penn State ($19,686 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 10.6% lower than at William & Mary ($14,474 vs. $16,182).
  • William & Mary is 25.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $5,270 more per year; $25,914.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 22.1% higher at William & Mary than at Penn State Main Campus (about $9,248 more per year; $51,038.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William & Mary than at Penn State Main Campus (43% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William & Mary students is 104.2% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($23,144 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. William & Mary Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or William & Mary? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between William & Mary and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at William & Mary (1470) is 140 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming William & Mary students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; William & Mary 1400/1530.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; William & Mary 32/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; William & Mary - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: William & Mary Jan 2, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than William & Mary (34.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 26.6% at William & Mary.

Penn State vs. William & Mary Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and William & Mary? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • William & Mary's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from William & Mary earn a median of about $13,400 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($68,700 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, William & Mary graduates have a $7,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($19,500 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, William & Mary graduates have an estimated $76 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($201 vs. $277).
  • More William & Mary graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.