Penn State vs. Ursinus College

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

Penn State Ursinus College
Location University Park, PA Collegeville, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 50,028 1,527
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #214
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu ursinus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Ursinus College
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $58,016
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $58,016
Room & Board $12,744 $14,624
Avg Net Price $26,747 $33,546
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $40,075
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 100%

Admission

Penn State Ursinus College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 3,237
Admitted 47,360 2,661
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 82.2%
Enrolled % 19.5% 14.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.53
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 28/32
SAT Range 1210/1390 1180/1380
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

Penn State Ursinus College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Biology (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Ursinus College
Graduation Rate 87% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Ursinus College
% Men 53% 52%
% Women 47% 48%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 74%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Ursinus College
% In-State 51% 63%
% Out-of-State 40% 36%

Campus

Penn State Ursinus College
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 Ursinus College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,527 students)

Penn State vs. Ursinus College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Ursinus College?

  • Ursinus College is 215.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($58,016.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.4% higher at Ursinus College than Penn State Main Campus ($58,016.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Ursinus College ($26,747 vs. $33,546)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 14.8% lower than costs at Ursinus College ($12,744 vs. $14,624)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ursinus College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ursinus College students is 298.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($40,075 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Ursinus College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Ursinus College has a higher acceptance rate (82.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Ursinus College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Ursinus College (87% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Ursinus College 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 $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Ursinus College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Ursinus College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Ursinus College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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