Penn State York vs. Penn

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

Penn State York Penn
Location York, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 707 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 York Penn
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $58,620
Tuition (Out of State) $24,562 $58,620
Room & Board $13,448 $18,496
Avg Net Price $19,159 $26,017
Avg Grant Aid $8,372 $59,721
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 48%

Admission

Penn State York Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,012 59,465
Admitted 1,855 3,489
Acceptance Rate 92.2% 5.9%
Enrolled % 10% 69.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.95
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 34/35
SAT Range 1070/1270 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 York Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Work and Family Studies (24%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State York Penn
Graduation Rate 45% 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 York Penn
% Men 0% 26%
% Women 1% 33%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 45%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 15% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State York Penn
% In-State 81% 14%
% Out-of-State 17% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State York based on total student enrollment (28,711 students vs. 707 students)

Penn State York vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State York or Penn?

  • University of Pennsylvania is 300.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State York for in-state tuition ($58,620.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 138.7% higher at Penn than Penn State York ($58,620.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State York than Penn ($19,159 vs. $26,017)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State York are 37.5% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($13,448 vs. $18,496)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State York than University of Pennsylvania (79% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 613.3% larger than aid received Penn State York ($59,721 vs. $8,372)

Penn State York vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 407 points higher than at Penn State York (1050)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State York (24)
  • Penn State York has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than Penn (5.9%)

Penn State York vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State York 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 York.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State York (96% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State York 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 York graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State York graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State York 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/