Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. SU

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

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
Location McKeesport, PA Winchester, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 363 4,260
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #537
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu su.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $33,790
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $33,790
Room & Board $12,254 $11,230
Avg Net Price $19,505 $26,143
Avg Grant Aid $10,269 $23,467
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 672 2,296
Admitted 589 1,845
Acceptance Rate 87.6% 80.4%
Enrolled % 19.5% 25.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.7
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26
SAT Range 1040/1300 1010/1230
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)
  • Health Professions (36%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (17%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Biology (4%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
Graduation Rate 47% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $48,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 60%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
% Men 61% 32%
% Women 39% 68%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 61% 59%
% Black 19% 11%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 13%

Students

 Penn State Greater Allegheny SU
% In-State 68% 52%
% Out-of-State 30% 48%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Shenandoah University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (4,260 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. SU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Greater Allegheny or SU?

  • Shenandoah University is 144.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($33,790.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.4% higher at SU than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($33,790.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than SU ($19,505 vs. $26,143)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shenandoah University are 9.1% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,230 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Shenandoah University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (100% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Shenandoah University students is 128.5% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($23,467 vs. $10,269)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. SU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Shenandoah University (1005) is 62 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at SU (22)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than SU (80.4%)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. SU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Greater Allegheny or SU? 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 SU and Penn State Greater Allegheny.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Greater Allegheny is higher than Shenandoah University (47% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $7,000 more per year than SU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,300)
  • Shenandoah University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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