Penn State Harrisburg vs. Old Dominion

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

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
Location Middletown, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 4,572 23,107
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #624
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu odu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,239
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $26,664
Room & Board $14,978 $13,480
Avg Net Price $22,096 $16,098
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $9,058
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 92%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 14,435
Admitted 9,483 13,734
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 95.1%
Enrolled % 12.6% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 22/27
SAT Range 1100/1310 1090/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
Graduation Rate 63% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
% Men 60% 44%
% Women 40% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 47%
% Black 11% 27%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 10% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
% In-State 46% 90%
% Out-of-State 27% 7%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Old Dominion
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

  • Old Dominion University is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (23,107 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Old Dominion Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Old Dominion?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 112.6% more expensive to attend than Old Dominion for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,239.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.1% higher at Old Dominion than Penn State Harrisburg ($26,664.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Old Dominion University than Penn State Harrisburg ($16,098 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Old Dominion University are 11.1% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,480 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Old Dominion University than Penn State Harrisburg (92% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Old Dominion University students is 2% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,058 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Old Dominion Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 23 points higher than at Old Dominion (1020)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Old Dominion (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Old Dominion (3.3)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Old Dominion (95.1%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Old Dominion Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Old Dominion? 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 Old Dominion and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Old Dominion University (63% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $7,700 more per year than Old Dominion graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,600)
  • Old Dominion University students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Old Dominion 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 Old Dominion students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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