Penn State Berks vs. Penn

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

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Penn State Berks vs. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State Berks University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

Penn State Berks Penn
Location Reading, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 2,077 28,201
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks Penn
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $56,212
Room & Board $14,334 $17,888
Avg Net Price $21,728 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 46%

Admission

Penn State Berks Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 54,588
Admitted 5,453 3,549
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 6.5%
Enrolled % 11.6% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/28 34/35
SAT Range 1090/1290 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 Berks Penn
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%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks Penn
Graduation Rate 55% 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 Berks Penn
% Men 59% 44%
% Women 41% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 68% 45%
% Black 9% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Berks Penn
% In-State 64% 16%
% Out-of-State 30% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or Penn?

  • University of Pennsylvania is 265.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($56,212.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 117.4% higher at Penn than Penn State Berks ($56,212.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Penn ($21,728 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 24.8% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($14,334 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than University of Pennsylvania (66% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 570.4% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($57,175 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 479 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.56 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Penn (6.5%)

Penn State Berks vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks 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 Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State Berks (96% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State Berks 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 Berks graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks 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/