Penn State Harrisburg vs. Sweet Briar College

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

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
Location Middletown, PA Sweet Briar, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 460
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu sbc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $22,620
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $22,620
Room & Board $14,978 $14,250
Avg Net Price $22,096 $28,408
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $12,254
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 96%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 1,204
Admitted 9,483 912
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 75.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 22/30
SAT Range 1100/1310 1020/1360
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 Sweet Briar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
Graduation Rate 63% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
% Men 60% 0%
% Women 40% 100%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 71%
% Black 11% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
% In-State 46% 43%
% Out-of-State 27% 49%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg Sweet Briar College
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 Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 460 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Sweet Briar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Sweet Briar College?

  • Sweet Briar College is 47% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($22,620.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Sweet Briar College ($25,854.00 vs. $22,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Sweet Briar College ($22,096 vs. $28,408)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sweet Briar College are 5.1% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,250 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Penn State Harrisburg (96% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sweet Briar College students is 38% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($12,254 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Sweet Briar College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sweet Briar College (1098) is 55 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Sweet Briar College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Sweet Briar College students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Sweet Briar College (75.7%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Sweet Briar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Sweet Briar College? 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 Sweet Briar College and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Sweet Briar College is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (70% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $13,600 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,700)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Sweet Briar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

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