Penn State Harrisburg vs. Saint Joseph's University

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

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
Location Middletown, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 4,572 7,861
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #141
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu sju.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $49,410
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $49,410
Room & Board $14,978 $15,285
Avg Net Price $22,096 $33,777
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $29,822
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 9,708
Admitted 9,483 8,609
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 88.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 12.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 26/31
SAT Range 1100/1310 1150/1330
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
Graduation Rate 63% 76%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $64,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,008
Median Loan Payment $277 $237

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
% Men 60% 41%
% Women 40% 59%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 80%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
% In-State 46% 50%
% Out-of-State 27% 48%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Saint Joseph's University
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

  • Saint Joseph's University is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (7,861 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Saint Joseph's University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Saint Joseph's University?

  • Saint Joseph's University is 221.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($49,410.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 91.1% higher at Saint Joseph's University than Penn State Harrisburg ($49,410.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Saint Joseph's University ($22,096 vs. $33,777)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 2% lower than costs at Saint Joseph's University ($14,978 vs. $15,285)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Joseph's University than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Joseph's University students is 235.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($29,822 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Saint Joseph's University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Saint Joseph's University students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Saint Joseph's University (88.7%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Saint Joseph's University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Saint Joseph's University? 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 Saint Joseph's University and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Joseph's University is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (76% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Saint Joseph's University earn on average $8,700 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($64,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Saint Joseph's University students graduate with a $3,810 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($23,008 vs. $26,818)
  • Saint Joseph's University graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Saint Joseph's University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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