Penn State vs. Providence

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

Penn State Providence
Location University Park, PA Providence, RI
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 50,028 4,473
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #121
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu providence.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Providence
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $56,980
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $56,980
Room & Board $12,744 $16,540
Avg Net Price $26,747 $43,970
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $30,971
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 81%

Admission

Penn State Providence
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 11,129
Admitted 47,360 5,874
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 52.8%
Enrolled % 19.5% 19.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.47
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31 28/32
SAT Range 1210/1390 1260/1420
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 15, 2025

Academics

Penn State Providence
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

Penn State Providence
Graduation Rate 87% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $68,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Providence
% Men 53% 45%
% Women 47% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 77%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

Penn State Providence
% In-State 51% 8%
% Out-of-State 40% 90%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Providence based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 4,473 students)

Penn State vs. Providence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Providence?

  • Providence College is 210.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($56,980.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 58.5% higher at Providence than Penn State Main Campus ($56,980.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Providence ($26,747 vs. $43,970)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 29.8% lower than costs at Providence College ($12,744 vs. $16,540)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Providence College than Penn State Main Campus (81% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Providence College students is 207.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,971 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Providence Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Providence (52.8%)

Penn State vs. Providence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Providence College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Providence College earn on average $12,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($68,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Providence graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Providence graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Providence graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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