Penn State vs. Utah

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

 Penn State Utah
Location University Park, PA Salt Lake City, UT
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 50,028 34,734
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #237
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu utah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Utah
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $8,175
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $28,697
Room & Board $12,744 $11,437
Avg Net Price $26,747 $12,399
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $9,696
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 99%

Admission

 Penn State Utah
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 21,072
Admitted 47,360 18,781
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 89.1%
Enrolled % 19.5% 29.4%
Avg High School GPA - 3.64
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 22/29
SAT Range 1210/1390 1190/1390
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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Utah
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Utah
Graduation Rate 87% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $61,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $155

Diversity

 Penn State Utah
% Men 53% 51%
% Women 47% 49%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 70%
% Black 4% 1%
% Hispanic 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Utah
% In-State 51% 57%
% Out-of-State 40% 36%

Campus

 Penn State Utah
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
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 Utah based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 34,734 students)

Penn State vs. Utah Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Utah?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 124.7% more expensive to attend than Utah for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $8,175.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.3% higher at Penn State than University of Utah ($35,946.00 vs. $28,697.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Utah than Penn State ($12,399 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Utah are 11.4% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,437 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Utah than Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 3.8% larger than aid received University of Utah ($10,066 vs. $9,696)

Penn State vs. Utah Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 72 points higher than at Utah (1130)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Utah (25)
  • Utah has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Utah Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Utah (87% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of Utah earn on average $6,000 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,300 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Utah students graduate with a $11,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($15,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Utah graduates are paying $122 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($155 vs. $277)
  • More Utah graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

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