Penn State Harrisburg vs. YCP

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

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
Location Middletown, PA York, PA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 3,656
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #526
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu ycp.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $21,070
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $21,070
Room & Board $14,978 $12,430
Avg Net Price $22,096 $20,916
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $14,978
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 99%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 4,529
Admitted 9,483 4,330
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 95.6%
Enrolled % 12.6% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.59
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 23/27
SAT Range 1100/1310 1020/1230
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 Aug 23, 2025

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
Graduation Rate 63% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $50,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,495
Median Loan Payment $277 $273

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
% Men 60% 42%
% Women 40% 58%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 83%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
% In-State 46% 66%
% Out-of-State 27% 33%

Campus

Penn State Harrisburg YCP
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 YCP based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,656 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. YCP Cost Comparison

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

  • York College Pennsylvania is 36.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($21,070.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.7% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than York College Pennsylvania ($25,854.00 vs. $21,070.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at York College Pennsylvania than Penn State Harrisburg ($20,916 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at York College Pennsylvania are 20.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,430 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at York College Pennsylvania than Penn State Harrisburg (99% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by York College Pennsylvania students is 68.6% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($14,978 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. YCP Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at York College Pennsylvania (1054) is 11 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at YCP (23)
  • Accepted freshman YCP students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • YCP has a higher acceptance rate (95.6%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. YCP Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than York College Pennsylvania (63% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $4,600 more per year than YCP graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,700)
  • York College Pennsylvania students graduate with a $323 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($26,495 vs. $26,818)
  • YCP graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($273 vs. $277)
  • More YCP graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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