Penn State vs. Penn

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Penn 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. 

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass Princeton Duke UB Cornell Harvard NC State
Penn State Main Campus vs. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State Main Campus University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus University of Pennsylvania
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Penn State Penn
Location University Park, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 50,028 28,201
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Penn
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $56,212
Room & Board $12,744 $17,888
Avg Net Price $26,747 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 46%

Admission

Penn State Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 54,588
Admitted 47,360 3,549
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 6.5%
Enrolled % 19.5% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA - 3.95
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 26/31 34/35
SAT Range 1210/1390 1500/1570
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 Jan 5, 2025

Academics

Penn State Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Penn
Graduation Rate 87% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $277 $213

Diversity

Penn State Penn
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 45%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Penn
% In-State 51% 16%
% Out-of-State 40% 67%

Campus

Penn State Penn
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Penn based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 28,201 students)

Penn State vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Penn?

  • University of Pennsylvania is 206% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($56,212.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.4% higher at Penn than Penn State Main Campus ($56,212.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Pennsylvania than Penn State ($26,123 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 40.4% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($12,744 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Pennsylvania than Penn State Main Campus (46% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 468% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($57,175 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 255 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Penn (6.5%)

Penn State vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $6,185 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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