Penn State vs. PHC

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Patrick Henry College? 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

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • PHC Purcellville, Virginia
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • PHC Town Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • PHC 425
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • PHC Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • PHC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • PHC Non-Denominational
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • PHC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • PHC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • PHC $28,425
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • PHC $28,425
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • PHC $11,020
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • PHC $25,869
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • PHC $13,345
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • PHC 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • PHC 266
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • PHC 206
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • PHC 77.4%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • PHC 47.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • PHC 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • PHC 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • PHC 3.83
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • PHC A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • PHC Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • PHC
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • PHC 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • PHC 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • PHC Required
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • PHC Jul 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • PHC 14:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • PHC

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • PHC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • PHC N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • PHC -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • PHC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • PHC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • PHC 55%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • PHC 45%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • PHC -
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • PHC No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • PHC 0%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • PHC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • PHC 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • PHC 17%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • PHC 83%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than PHC based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 425 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Patrick Henry College is in Purcellville, Virginia (Town Fringe setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Patrick Henry College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Patrick Henry College 14:1.

Penn State vs. PHC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or PHC? 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 Patrick Henry College than Penn State ($25,869 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Patrick Henry College are 23.9% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($11,020 vs. $14,474).
  • Patrick Henry College is 37.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $7,781 more per year; $28,425.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 47% higher at Penn State than at Patrick Henry College (about $13,365 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $28,425.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Patrick Henry College than at Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Patrick Henry College students is 17.7% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($13,345 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. PHC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or PHC? 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 PHC and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is the same as at PHC (1330).
  • Incoming PHC students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Patrick Henry College 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; Patrick Henry College 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; PHC - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: PHC Jul 15, 2027.
  • PHC has a higher acceptance rate (77.4%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 47.6% at PHC.

Penn State vs. PHC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and PHC? 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).

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.