Penn State New Kensington vs. Penn

Should I go to Penn State New Kensington or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State New Kensington or Penn 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 New Kensington vs. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State New Kensington University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

Penn State New Kensington Penn
Location Upper Burrell, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 456 28,711
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State New Kensington Penn
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $58,620
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $58,620
Room & Board $13,448 $18,496
Avg Net Price $19,294 $26,017
Avg Grant Aid $7,450 $59,721
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 48%

Admission

Penn State New Kensington Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 643 59,465
Admitted 600 3,489
Acceptance Rate 93.3% 5.9%
Enrolled % 20.8% 69.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.95
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 25/27 34/35
SAT Range 1030/1270 1500/1570
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 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

Penn State New Kensington Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State New Kensington Penn
Graduation Rate 40% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $277 $213

Diversity

Penn State New Kensington Penn
% Men 1% 26%
% Women 6% 33%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 87% 45%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 2% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State New Kensington Penn
% In-State 85% 14%
% Out-of-State 13% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State New Kensington based on total student enrollment (28,711 students vs. 456 students)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State New Kensington or Penn?

  • University of Pennsylvania is 324% more expensive to attend than Penn State New Kensington for in-state tuition ($58,620.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 151.4% higher at Penn than Penn State New Kensington ($58,620.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State New Kensington than Penn ($19,294 vs. $26,017)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State New Kensington are 37.5% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($13,448 vs. $18,496)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State New Kensington than University of Pennsylvania (91% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 701.6% larger than aid received Penn State New Kensington ($59,721 vs. $7,450)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 477 points higher than at Penn State New Kensington (980)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 12 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State New Kensington (21)
  • Penn State New Kensington has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than Penn (5.9%)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State New Kensington or Penn? 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 Penn and Penn State New Kensington.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State New Kensington (96% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State New Kensington graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $6,185 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State New Kensington students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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