Penn State Harrisburg vs. Westminster College

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
Location Middletown, PA New Wilmington, PA
Setting Large Suburban Town Fringe
Enrollment 4,572 1,211
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #489
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu westminster.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $38,000
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $38,000
Room & Board $14,978 $11,900
Avg Net Price $22,096 $22,645
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $30,252
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 2,225
Admitted 9,483 1,675
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 75.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 20/26
SAT Range 1100/1310 1040/1258
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 Westminster College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (10%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
Graduation Rate 63% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
% Men 60% 44%
% Women 40% 56%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 77%
% Black 11% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 15%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster College
% In-State 46% 70%
% Out-of-State 27% 29%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg Westminster 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 Westminster College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,211 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Westminster College Cost Comparison

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

  • Westminster College is 146.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($38,000.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47% higher at Westminster College than Penn State Harrisburg ($38,000.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Westminster College ($22,096 vs. $22,645)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Westminster College are 25.9% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,900 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Westminster College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Westminster College students is 240.6% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($30,252 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Westminster College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 15 points higher than at Westminster College (1028)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Westminster College (23)
  • Accepted freshman Westminster College students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Westminster College (75.3%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Westminster College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Westminster 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 Westminster College and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Westminster College is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $9,600 more per year than Westminster College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,700)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Westminster College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Westminster College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Westminster College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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