Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Jefferson

Should I go to Penn State Lehigh Valley or Thomas Jefferson University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Lehigh Valley or Jefferson 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 Lehigh Valley vs. Thomas Jefferson University comparison
Penn State Lehigh Valley Thomas Jefferson University College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
Location Center Valley, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 888 8,286
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jefferson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $43,100
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $43,100
Room & Board $12,984 $14,715
Avg Net Price $18,142 $28,110
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $32,486
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 5,723
Admitted 1,699 5,085
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 88.9%
Enrolled % 15.7% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.73
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 27/31
SAT Range 1100/1290 1130/1350
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 Jul 31, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
Graduation Rate 47% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $12,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $129

Diversity

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
% Men 57% 27%
% Women 43% 73%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 72%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 16% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Jefferson
% In-State 93% 63%
% Out-of-State 6% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Thomas Jefferson University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (8,286 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Jefferson Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Jefferson?

  • Thomas Jefferson University is 194.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($43,100.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 77.2% higher at Jefferson than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($43,100.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Jefferson ($18,142 vs. $28,110)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 13.3% lower than costs at Thomas Jefferson University ($12,984 vs. $14,715)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Thomas Jefferson University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Thomas Jefferson University students is 228.6% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($32,486 vs. $9,886)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Jefferson Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Jefferson students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Jefferson (88.9%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Jefferson Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Jefferson? 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 Jefferson and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

  • Graduates from Thomas Jefferson University earn on average $67,600 more per year than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Thomas Jefferson University students graduate with a $14,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($12,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Jefferson graduates are paying $148 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($129 vs. $277)
  • More Jefferson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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