Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State

Deciding between Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Center Valley, PA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 867
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $15,208
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $25,392
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $15,274
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $19,066
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $9,065
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 80%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 1,827
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 1,779
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 97.4%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 14%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 1230
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 3.42
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley B+
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Challenging
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 1130/1320
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 14:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley
    • Business (46%)
    • Education (25%)
    • Psychology (18%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
    • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 47%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $55,300
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 69%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $26,818
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley $277
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 59%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 41%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley Medium
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 64%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 10%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 6%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 16%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 2%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 0%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 1%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 90%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 9%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley No
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley, PA with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 867 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is located in Center Valley, PA (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Lehigh Valley 14:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Penn State ($19,066 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 5.2% lower than at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($14,474 vs. $15,274).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 35.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Lehigh Valley (about $5,436 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $15,208.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 64.6% higher at Penn State than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (about $16,398 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $25,392.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than at Penn State Main Campus (80% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 25.1% larger than aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students ($11,336 vs. $9,065).

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 100 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1230).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Lehigh Valley 1130/1320; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsPenn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State Lehigh Valley - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 14% at Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley's (47%).
  • Graduates of Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State have equivalent median earnings about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $55,300), per the federal College Scorecard cohort (typically among students working and not enrolled).
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates have the same median loan debt ($26,818 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($277 vs. $277).
  • Federal student loan repayment rates three years after graduation are the same for Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates (69% vs. 69%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.