Penn State vs. Saint Joseph's University

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia? 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
Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Saint Joseph's University Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Saint Joseph's University 7,159
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Saint Joseph's University Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Saint Joseph's University #173
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Saint Joseph's University Roman Catholic
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Saint Joseph's University Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Saint Joseph's University

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Saint Joseph's University $53,260
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Saint Joseph's University $53,260
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Saint Joseph's University $16,240
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Saint Joseph's University $31,205
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Saint Joseph's University $36,964
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Saint Joseph's University 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Saint Joseph's University 10,631
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Saint Joseph's University 9,443
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Saint Joseph's University 88.8%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Saint Joseph's University 14.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Saint Joseph's University 1260
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Saint Joseph's University 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Saint Joseph's University 3.65
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Saint Joseph's University A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Saint Joseph's University Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Saint Joseph's University
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Saint Joseph's University 28/31
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Saint Joseph's University 1170/1350
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Saint Joseph's University Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Saint Joseph's University Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Saint Joseph's University 11:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Saint Joseph's University
    • Business (46%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Education (7%)
    • Biology (6%)
    • Psychology (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Saint Joseph's University 76%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Saint Joseph's University $64,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Saint Joseph's University 78%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Saint Joseph's University $23,008
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Saint Joseph's University $237

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Saint Joseph's University 42%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Saint Joseph's University 58%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Saint Joseph's University Low
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Saint Joseph's University No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Saint Joseph's University 80%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Saint Joseph's University 2%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Saint Joseph's University 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Saint Joseph's University 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Saint Joseph's University 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Saint Joseph's University 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Saint Joseph's University 2%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Saint Joseph's University 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Saint Joseph's University 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Saint Joseph's University 58%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Saint Joseph's University 41%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • Saint Joseph's University Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • Saint Joseph's University No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • Saint Joseph's University Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Saint Joseph's University Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • Saint Joseph's University No

Comparable Facts

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

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Saint Joseph's University based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 7,159 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia 11:1.

Penn State vs. Saint Joseph's University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Saint Joseph's University? 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 Main Campus than Saint Joseph's University ($27,889 vs. $31,205).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 10.9% lower than at Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia ($14,474 vs. $16,240).
  • Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia is 158% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $32,616 more per year; $53,260.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 27.4% higher at Saint Joseph's University than at Penn State Main Campus (about $11,470 more per year; $53,260.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia than at Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia students is 226.1% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($36,964 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. Saint Joseph's University Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Saint Joseph's University? 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 Saint Joseph's University and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 70 points higher than at Saint Joseph's University (1260).
  • Incoming Penn State students have the same typical ACT composite (median estimate; 29) as students at Saint Joseph's University (29).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia 1170/1350.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia 28/31.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Saint Joseph's University - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Saint Joseph's University Feb 1, 2027.
  • Saint Joseph's University has a higher acceptance rate (88.8%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 14.1% at Saint Joseph's University.

Penn State vs. Saint Joseph's University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and Saint Joseph's University? 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 Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia's (76%).
  • Graduates from Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia earn a median of about $8,700 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($64,000 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia graduates have a $3,810 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($23,008 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Saint Joseph's University graduates have an estimated $40 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($237 vs. $277).
  • More Saint Joseph's University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (78% 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.