Penn State Harrisburg vs. BC

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

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
Location Middletown, PA Bridgewater, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 4,651 1,436
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #603
Religious Affiliation - Church of Brethren - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $40,300
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $40,300
Room & Board $15,870 $14,370
Avg Net Price $22,406 $19,660
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $36,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 3,984
Admitted 9,924 3,618
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 90.8%
Enrolled % 12.2% 11.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 28/29
SAT Range 1110/1320 1070/1375
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
Graduation Rate 63% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
% Men 5% 1%
% Women 6% 2%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 73%
% Black 11% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
% In-State 46% 69%
% Out-of-State 27% 25%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg BC
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 BC based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 1,436 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. BC Cost Comparison

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

  • Bridgewater College is 161.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($40,300.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.3% higher at BC than Penn State Harrisburg ($40,300.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater College than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,660 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bridgewater College are 10.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,370 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 331.7% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($36,350 vs. $8,421)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 9 points higher than at BC (1034)
  • Incoming BC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than BC (90.8%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or BC? 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 BC and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Bridgewater College (63% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $12,200 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,100)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More BC 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/