Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Bennington

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

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Bennington
Location Erie, PA Bennington, VT
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,295 880
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #503
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Bennington
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $60,648
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $60,648
Room & Board $12,984 $17,720
Avg Net Price $21,968 $32,497
Avg Grant Aid $9,685 $49,183
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,363 2,801
Admitted 4,164 1,269
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 45.3%
Enrolled % 19.9% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 3.51
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/30 29/33
SAT Range 1095/1330 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 Erie-Behrend College Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Bennington
Graduation Rate 66% 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 Erie-Behrend College Bennington
% Men 64% 31%
% Women 36% 69%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 65%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 2% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 9% 13%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Bennington
% In-State 74% 2%
% Out-of-State 19% 87%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College is larger than than Bennington based on total student enrollment (3,295 students vs. 880 students)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or Bennington?

  • Bennington College is 294.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Erie-Behrend College for in-state tuition ($60,648.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 134.6% higher at Bennington than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($60,648.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Erie Behrend College than Bennington ($21,968 vs. $32,497)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Erie Behrend College are 36.5% lower than costs at Bennington College ($12,984 vs. $17,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than Penn State Erie Behrend College (98% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 407.8% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($49,183 vs. $9,685)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Bennington students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.51) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than Bennington (45.3%)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College.

  • The graduation rate at Bennington is higher than Penn State Erie Behrend College (67% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bennington graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bennington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/