Penn State Berks vs. Sweet Briar College

Should I go to Penn State Berks or Sweet Briar College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Berks or Sweet Briar 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 Berks vs. Sweet Briar College comparison
Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks
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Overview

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
Location Reading, PA Sweet Briar, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Small Suburban
Enrollment 2,077 460
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu sbc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $22,620
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $22,620
Room & Board $14,334 $14,250
Avg Net Price $21,728 $28,408
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $12,254
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 96%

Admission

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 1,204
Admitted 5,453 912
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 75.7%
Enrolled % 11.6% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 22/30
SAT Range 1090/1290 1020/1360
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 Berks Sweet Briar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
Graduation Rate 55% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
% Men 59% 0%
% Women 41% 100%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 71%
% Black 9% 9%
% Hispanic 11% 9%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Berks Sweet Briar College
% In-State 64% 43%
% Out-of-State 30% 49%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Berks is larger than than Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (2,077 students vs. 460 students)

Penn State Berks vs. Sweet Briar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or Sweet Briar College?

  • Sweet Briar College is 47% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($22,620.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.3% higher at Penn State Berks than Sweet Briar College ($25,854.00 vs. $22,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Sweet Briar College ($21,728 vs. $28,408)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sweet Briar College are 0.6% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($14,250 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Penn State Berks (96% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sweet Briar College students is 43.7% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($12,254 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. Sweet Briar College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sweet Briar College (1098) is 120 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Sweet Briar College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Sweet Briar College students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Sweet Briar College (75.7%)

Penn State Berks vs. Sweet Briar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or Sweet Briar 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 Sweet Briar College and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Sweet Briar College is higher than Penn State Berks (70% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $13,600 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,700)
  • Penn State Berks students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Berks graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Sweet Briar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks 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/