Penn State vs. Texas A&M

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or Texas A&M University College Station? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Texas A&M 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

UT Austin Baylor Virginia Tech UD Texas Tech Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass OU UB NC State
Penn State Main Campus vs. Texas A&M University College Station comparison
Penn State Main Campus Texas A&M University College Station College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus Texas A&M University College Station
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Texas A&M
Location University Park, PA College Station, TX
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,399 76,633
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #121
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu tamu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Texas A&M
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $9,199
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $36,428
Room & Board $13,030 $13,154
Avg Net Price $27,450 $21,610
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $11,607
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 61%

Admission

 Penn State Texas A&M
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 50,832
Admitted 46,605 32,149
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 63.2%
Enrolled % 19.4% 42.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.68
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 25/31
SAT Range 1220/1400 1140/1380
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Dec 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Texas A&M
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Agriculture (10%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Texas A&M
Graduation Rate 87% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $193

Diversity

 Penn State Texas A&M
% Men 8% 11%
% Women 8% 10%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 65%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 22%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Texas A&M
% In-State 51% 94%
% Out-of-State 40% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Texas A&M University College Station is larger than than Penn State based on total student enrollment (76,633 students vs. 50,399 students)

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Texas A&M?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 113.8% more expensive to attend than Texas A&M for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $9,199.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.8% higher at Penn State than Texas A&M University College Station ($39,626.00 vs. $36,428.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Texas A&M University College Station than Penn State ($21,610 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1% lower than costs at Texas A&M University College Station ($13,030 vs. $13,154)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Texas A&M University College Station than Penn State Main Campus (61% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Texas A&M University College Station students is 0.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,607 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Texas A&M University College Station (1212) is 10 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Texas A&M students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Texas A&M has a higher acceptance rate (63.2%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Texas A&M? 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 Texas A&M and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Texas A&M University College Station (87% vs. 81%)
  • Graduates from Texas A&M University College Station earn on average $10,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Texas A&M University College Station students graduate with a $8,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($18,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Texas A&M graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($193 vs. $277)
  • More Texas A&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 69%)

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