Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn

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

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
Location Middletown, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 4,572 28,201
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $56,212
Room & Board $14,978 $17,888
Avg Net Price $22,096 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 46%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 54,588
Admitted 9,483 3,549
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 6.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 24/28 34/35
SAT Range 1100/1310 1500/1570
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 Jan 5, 2025

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
Graduation Rate 63% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $277 $213

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
% Men 60% 44%
% Women 40% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 45%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Penn
% In-State 46% 16%
% Out-of-State 27% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Pennsylvania is 265.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($56,212.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 117.4% higher at Penn than Penn State Harrisburg ($56,212.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Penn ($22,096 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 19.4% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($14,978 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than University of Pennsylvania (63% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 543.7% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($57,175 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 414 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Penn (6.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (96% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $6,185 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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