Penn State vs. Mary Washington College

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and University of Mary Washington? 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
University of Mary Washington

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Mary Washington College Fredericksburg, VA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Mary Washington College Small Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Mary Washington College 3,826
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Mary Washington College Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Mary Washington College #259
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Mary Washington College -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Mary Washington College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Mary Washington College

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Mary Washington College $14,640
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Mary Washington College $27,560
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Mary Washington College $14,250
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Mary Washington College $21,800
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Mary Washington College $10,491
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Mary Washington College 99%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Mary Washington College 5,124
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Mary Washington College 4,088
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Mary Washington College 79.8%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Mary Washington College 17.7%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Mary Washington College 1270
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Mary Washington College 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Mary Washington College 3.71
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Mary Washington College A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Mary Washington College Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Mary Washington College
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Mary Washington College 27/31
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Mary Washington College 1170/1370
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Mary Washington College Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Mary Washington College

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Mary Washington College 13:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Mary Washington College
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Business (12%)
    • General Studies (11%)
    • English and Literature (11%)
    • Psychology (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Mary Washington College 71%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Mary Washington College $55,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Mary Washington College 80%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Mary Washington College $21,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Mary Washington College $222

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Mary Washington College 36%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Mary Washington College 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Mary Washington College Low
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Mary Washington College No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Mary Washington College 70%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Mary Washington College 4%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Mary Washington College 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Mary Washington College 8%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Mary Washington College 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Mary Washington College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Mary Washington College 5%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Mary Washington College 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Mary Washington College 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Mary Washington College 88%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Mary Washington College 10%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • Mary Washington College Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • Mary Washington College No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • Mary Washington College Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Mary Washington College Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • Mary Washington College No

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Mary Washington College based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 3,826 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); University of Mary Washington is in Fredericksburg, VA (Small Suburban setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Mary Washington is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; University of Mary Washington 13:1.

Penn State vs. Mary Washington College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Mary Washington College? 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 University of Mary Washington than Penn State ($21,800 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Mary Washington are 1.5% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($14,250 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 41% more expensive for in-state tuition than Mary Washington College (about $6,004 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $14,640.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 51.6% higher at Penn State than at University of Mary Washington (about $14,230 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $27,560.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Mary Washington than at Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 8.1% larger than aid received by University of Mary Washington students ($11,336 vs. $10,491).

Penn State vs. Mary Washington College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Mary Washington College? 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 Mary Washington College and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 60 points higher than at Mary Washington College (1270).
  • Incoming Penn State students have the same typical ACT composite (median estimate; 29) as students at Mary Washington College (29).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; University of Mary Washington 1170/1370.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; University of Mary Washington 27/31.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Mary Washington College - Test optional.
  • Mary Washington College has a higher acceptance rate (79.8%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 17.7% at Mary Washington College.

Penn State vs. Mary Washington College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and Mary Washington College? 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 University of Mary Washington's (71%).
  • Graduates from University of Mary Washington earn a median of about $200 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,500 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Mary Washington graduates have a $5,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($21,500 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Mary Washington College graduates have an estimated $55 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($222 vs. $277).
  • More Mary Washington College 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.