Penn State vs. Penn State Abington

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Abington? 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
Penn State Abington

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Penn State Abington Abington, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Penn State Abington Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Penn State Abington 2,885
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Abington Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Penn State Abington #810
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Penn State Abington -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Penn State Abington Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Penn State Abington

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Penn State Abington $15,268
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Penn State Abington $25,664
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Penn State Abington $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Penn State Abington $19,232
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Penn State Abington $9,883
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Penn State Abington 80%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Penn State Abington 6,620
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Penn State Abington 6,406
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Penn State Abington 96.8%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Penn State Abington 11.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Penn State Abington 1170
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Penn State Abington 25
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Penn State Abington 3.42
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Penn State Abington B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Penn State Abington Average
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Penn State Abington
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Penn State Abington 23/27
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Penn State Abington 1070/1265
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Penn State Abington Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Penn State Abington

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Penn State Abington 14:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Penn State Abington
    • Business (35%)
    • Psychology (21%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
    • English and Literature (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Penn State Abington 44%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Penn State Abington $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Penn State Abington 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Penn State Abington $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Penn State Abington $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Penn State Abington 58%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Penn State Abington 42%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Penn State Abington High
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Penn State Abington No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Penn State Abington 50%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Penn State Abington 17%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Penn State Abington 13%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Penn State Abington 10%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Penn State Abington 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Penn State Abington 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Penn State Abington 2%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Penn State Abington 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Penn State Abington 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Penn State Abington 70%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Penn State Abington 21%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 2,885 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Penn State Abington is in Abington, PA (Large Suburban setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Abington is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Penn State Abington 14:1.

Penn State vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Penn State Abington? 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 Penn State Abington than Penn State ($19,232 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Abington ($14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 35.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Abington (about $5,376 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $15,268.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 62.8% higher at Penn State than at Penn State Abington (about $16,126 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $25,664.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Abington than at Penn State Main Campus (80% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 14.7% larger than aid received by Penn State Abington students ($11,336 vs. $9,883).

Penn State vs. Penn State Abington Admissions comparison

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

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 160 points higher than at Penn State Abington (1170).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 25 at Penn State Abington).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Penn State Abington 1070/1265.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; Penn State Abington 23/27.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Penn State Abington - Test optional.
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (96.8%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 11.2% at Penn State Abington.

Penn State vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Penn State Abington's (44%).
  • Graduates of Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Abington have equivalent median earnings about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $55,300), per the federal College Scorecard cohort (typically among students working and not enrolled).
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Abington and Penn State graduates have the same median loan debt ($26,818 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, Penn State Abington and Penn State graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($277 vs. $277).
  • Federal student loan repayment rates three years after graduation are the same for Penn State Abington and Penn State graduates (69% 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.