Penn State vs. Pitt

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

Penn State Pitt
Location University Park, PA Pittsburgh, PA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 50,028 33,767
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #128
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu pitt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Pitt
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $19,760
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $36,000
Room & Board $12,744 $12,360
Avg Net Price $26,747 $24,286
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $10,919
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 85%

Admission

Penn State Pitt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 53,072
Admitted 47,360 26,079
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 49.1%
Enrolled % 19.5% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.79
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31 29/33
SAT Range 1210/1390 1280/1470
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

Academics

Penn State Pitt
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

Penn State Pitt
Graduation Rate 87% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,909
Median Loan Payment $277 $278

Diversity

Penn State Pitt
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 74%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Pitt
% In-State 51% 54%
% Out-of-State 40% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Pitt based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 33,767 students)

Penn State vs. Pitt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Pitt?

  • University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is 7.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($19,760.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at Pitt than Penn State Main Campus ($36,000.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus than Penn State ($24,286 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus are 3.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,360 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus than Penn State Main Campus (85% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus students is 8.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,919 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Pitt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus (1272) is 70 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Pitt students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Pitt (49.1%)

Penn State vs. Pitt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus (87% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn on average $2,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $91 lower median federal student loan debt than Pitt graduates. ($26,818 vs. $26,909)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Pitt graduates. ($277 vs. $278)
  • More Pitt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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