Penn State vs. UT Dallas

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and The University of Texas at Dallas? 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
The University of Texas at Dallas

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • UT Dallas Richardson, TX
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • UT Dallas Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • UT Dallas 29,886
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • UT Dallas Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • UT Dallas #242
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • UT Dallas -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • UT Dallas Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • UT Dallas

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • UT Dallas $14,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • UT Dallas $40,144
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • UT Dallas $14,430
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • UT Dallas $14,916
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • UT Dallas $14,909
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • UT Dallas 64%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • UT Dallas 31,789
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • UT Dallas 20,704
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • UT Dallas 65.1%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • UT Dallas 20.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • UT Dallas 1290
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • UT Dallas 28
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • UT Dallas 3.78
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • UT Dallas A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • UT Dallas Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • UT Dallas Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • UT Dallas 24/32
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • UT Dallas 1160/1410
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • UT Dallas Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • UT Dallas May 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • UT Dallas 23:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • UT Dallas
    • Business (32%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Social Sciences (9%)
    • General Studies (8%)

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • UT Dallas 56%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • UT Dallas 44%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • UT Dallas Very High
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • UT Dallas No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • UT Dallas 37%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • UT Dallas 29%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • UT Dallas 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • UT Dallas 18%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • UT Dallas 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • UT Dallas 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • UT Dallas 4%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • UT Dallas 3%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • UT Dallas 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • UT Dallas 92%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • UT Dallas 5%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, TX on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than UT Dallas based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 29,886 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); The University of Texas at Dallas is in Richardson, TX (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; The University of Texas at Dallas 23:1.

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or UT Dallas? 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 The University of Texas at Dallas than Penn State ($14,916 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Texas at Dallas are 0.3% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($14,430 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 41% more expensive for in-state tuition than UT Dallas (about $6,000 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $14,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 4.1% higher at Penn State than at The University of Texas at Dallas (about $1,646 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $40,144.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The University of Texas at Dallas than at Penn State Main Campus (64% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Texas at Dallas students is 31.5% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($14,909 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Admissions comparison

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

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 40 points higher than at UT Dallas (1290).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 28 at UT Dallas).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; The University of Texas at Dallas 1160/1410.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; The University of Texas at Dallas 24/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; UT Dallas - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UT Dallas May 1, 2027.
  • UT Dallas has a higher acceptance rate (65.1%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 20.3% at UT Dallas.

Penn State vs. UT Dallas Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and UT Dallas? 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 The University of Texas at Dallas's (61%).
  • Graduates from The University of Texas at Dallas earn a median of about $3,700 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,000 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, The University of Texas at Dallas graduates have a $8,068 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($18,750 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UT Dallas graduates have an estimated $84 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.