Penn State Harrisburg vs. USD

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

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
Location Middletown, PA Vermillion, SD
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 4,572 9,856
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #597
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu usd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,773
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $11,283
Room & Board $14,978 $8,224
Avg Net Price $22,096 $18,378
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $6,308
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 79%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 4,480
Admitted 9,483 4,456
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 99.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 29.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 19/25
SAT Range 1100/1310 1020/1300
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 USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Health Professions (32%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
Graduation Rate 63% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $48,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
% Men 60% 37%
% Women 40% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 85%
% Black 11% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg USD
% In-State 46% 54%
% Out-of-State 27% 43%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Dakota is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (9,856 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. USD Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 98% more expensive to attend than USD for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,773.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 129.1% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than University of South Dakota ($25,854.00 vs. $11,283.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of South Dakota than Penn State Harrisburg ($18,378 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Dakota are 82.1% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($8,224 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Dakota than Penn State Harrisburg (79% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 40.8% larger than aid received University of South Dakota ($8,882 vs. $6,308)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Dakota (1049) is 6 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at USD (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at USD (3.43)
  • USD has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than University of South Dakota (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $7,100 more per year than USD graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,200)
  • University of South Dakota students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • USD graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 69%)

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