Penn State vs. UT Dallas

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or The University of Texas at Dallas? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or UT Dallas 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. The University of Texas at Dallas comparison
Penn State Main Campus The University of Texas at Dallas College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus The University of Texas at Dallas
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Overview

 Penn State UT Dallas
Location University Park, PA Richardson, TX
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,399 30,885
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #244
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu utdallas.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State UT Dallas
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $14,564
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $40,064
Room & Board $13,030 $13,832
Avg Net Price $27,450 $13,464
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $14,643
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 62%

Admission

 Penn State UT Dallas
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 29,366
Admitted 46,605 19,224
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 65.5%
Enrolled % 19.4% 21.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.78
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 25/32
SAT Range 1220/1400 1170/1410
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 May 1, 2026

Academics

 Penn State UT Dallas
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State UT Dallas
Graduation Rate 87% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $193

Diversity

 Penn State UT Dallas
% Men 8% 18%
% Women 8% 13%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 37%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Penn State UT Dallas
% In-State 51% 93%
% Out-of-State 40% 4%

Campus

 Penn State UT Dallas
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

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UT Dallas based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 30,885 students)

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or UT Dallas?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 35.1% more expensive to attend than UT Dallas for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $14,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.1% higher at UT Dallas than Penn State Main Campus ($40,064.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Texas at Dallas than Penn State ($13,464 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 6.2% lower than costs at The University of Texas at Dallas ($13,030 vs. $13,832)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas at Dallas than Penn State Main Campus (62% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Texas at Dallas students is 26.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($14,643 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Texas at Dallas (1265) is 63 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UT Dallas students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • UT Dallas has a higher acceptance rate (65.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or UT Dallas? 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 UT Dallas and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than The University of Texas at Dallas (87% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from The University of Texas at Dallas earn on average $3,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $55,300)
  • The University of Texas at Dallas students graduate with a $8,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($18,750 vs. $26,818)
  • UT Dallas graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($193 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UT Dallas students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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