Penn State Brandywine vs. Bennington

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

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
Location Media, PA Bennington, VT
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,196 880
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #729
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $60,648
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $60,648
Room & Board $13,930 $17,720
Avg Net Price $21,600 $32,497
Avg Grant Aid $9,638 $49,183
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,440 2,801
Admitted 2,347 1,269
Acceptance Rate 96.2% 45.3%
Enrolled % 17% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.51
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 29/33
SAT Range 1070/1285 1260/1370
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 15, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
Graduation Rate 37% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $31,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $268

Diversity

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
% Men 61% 31%
% Women 39% 69%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 63% 65%
% Black 15% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 1% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 Penn State Brandywine Bennington
% In-State 74% 2%
% Out-of-State 24% 87%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Brandywine is larger than than Bennington based on total student enrollment (1,196 students vs. 880 students)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Brandywine or Bennington?

  • Bennington College is 314.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Brandywine for in-state tuition ($60,648.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 149.4% higher at Bennington than Penn State Brandywine ($60,648.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Brandywine than Bennington ($21,600 vs. $32,497)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 27.2% lower than costs at Bennington College ($13,930 vs. $17,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than Penn State Brandywine (98% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 410.3% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($49,183 vs. $9,638)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (96.2%) than Bennington (45.3%)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Brandywine or Bennington? 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 Bennington and Penn State Brandywine.

  • The graduation rate at Bennington is higher than Penn State Brandywine (67% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Brandywine earn on average $23,600 more per year than Bennington graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $31,700)
  • Bennington College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Brandywine graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bennington graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Brandywine graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bennington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Brandywine students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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