Quinnipiac vs. Penn State

Should I go to Quinnipiac University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Quinnipiac or Penn State 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse Drexel
Quinnipiac University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Quinnipiac University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Quinnipiac University Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Quinnipiac Penn State
Location Hamden, CT University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 8,918 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #184 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website quinnipiac.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Quinnipiac Penn State
Tuition (In State) $50,400 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $50,400 $39,626
Room & Board $16,470 $13,030
Avg Net Price $39,632 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $30,035 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 36%

Admission

 Quinnipiac Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,323 85,956
Admitted 16,418 46,605
Acceptance Rate 77% 54.2%
Enrolled % 10.9% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/29 27/32
SAT Range 1100/1300 1220/1400
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Quinnipiac Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Communication (19%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Quinnipiac Penn State
Graduation Rate 77% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Quinnipiac Penn State
% Men 10% 8%
% Women 20% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Quinnipiac Penn State
% In-State 32% 51%
% Out-of-State 67% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Quinnipiac based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 8,918 students)

Quinnipiac vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Quinnipiac or Penn State?

  • Quinnipiac University is 156.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($50,400.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.2% higher at Quinnipiac than Penn State Main Campus ($50,400.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Quinnipiac ($27,450 vs. $39,632)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.4% lower than costs at Quinnipiac University ($13,030 vs. $16,470)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Quinnipiac University than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Quinnipiac University students is 159.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,035 vs. $11,577)

Quinnipiac vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 107 points higher than at Quinnipiac (1095)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Quinnipiac (25)
  • Quinnipiac has a higher acceptance rate (77%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Quinnipiac vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Quinnipiac or Penn State? 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 State and Quinnipiac.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Quinnipiac University (87% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from Quinnipiac University earn on average $10,200 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Quinnipiac University students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Quinnipiac graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Quinnipiac graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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