Penn State Harrisburg vs. Dakota State

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
Location Middletown, PA Madison, SD
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 4,651 3,508
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #813
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu dsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,616
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $10,718
Room & Board $15,870 $8,990
Avg Net Price $22,406 $19,115
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $5,263
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 87%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 988
Admitted 9,924 967
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 97.9%
Enrolled % 12.2% 40.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.33
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 20/26
SAT Range 1110/1320 1020/1340
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

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (28%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (3%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
Graduation Rate 63% 34%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 67%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
% Men 5% 12%
% Women 6% 4%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 84%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Dakota State
% In-State 46% 56%
% Out-of-State 27% 38%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Dakota State based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 3,508 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Dakota State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 102% more expensive to attend than Dakota State for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,616.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 143.6% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Dakota State University ($26,112.00 vs. $10,718.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dakota State University than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,115 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dakota State University are 76.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($8,990 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dakota State University than Penn State Harrisburg (87% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 60% larger than aid received Dakota State University ($8,421 vs. $5,263)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Dakota State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dakota State University (1047) is 4 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Dakota State (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Dakota State (3.33)
  • Dakota State has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than Penn State Harrisburg (96.4%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Dakota State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Dakota State University (63% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $13,100 more per year than Dakota State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,200)
  • Dakota State University students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Dakota State graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dakota State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 67%)

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