Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bennington

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Bennington
Location Middletown, PA Bennington, VT
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,572 880
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Bennington
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $60,648
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $60,648
Room & Board $14,978 $17,720
Avg Net Price $22,096 $32,497
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $49,183
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 2,801
Admitted 9,483 1,269
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 45.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.51
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28 29/33
SAT Range 1100/1310 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 Harrisburg Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Bennington
Graduation Rate 63% 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 Harrisburg Bennington
% Men 60% 31%
% Women 40% 69%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 65%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Bennington
% In-State 46% 2%
% Out-of-State 27% 87%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Bennington based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 880 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

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

  • Bennington College is 294.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($60,648.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 134.6% higher at Bennington than Penn State Harrisburg ($60,648.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Bennington ($22,096 vs. $32,497)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 18.3% lower than costs at Bennington College ($14,978 vs. $17,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than Penn State Harrisburg (98% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 453.7% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($49,183 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Bennington students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.51) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Bennington (45.3%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Bennington is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bennington graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bennington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg 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/