RIT vs. Penn State

Should I go to Rochester Institute of Technology or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RIT 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 RPI Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse
Rochester Institute of Technology vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Rochester Institute of Technology Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Rochester Institute of Technology Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 RIT Penn State
Location Rochester, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 16,615 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #172 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RIT Penn State
Tuition (In State) $53,720 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $53,720 $35,946
Room & Board $14,978 $12,744
Avg Net Price $39,600 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $29,122 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 44%

Admission

 RIT Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,976 85,784
Admitted 16,105 47,360
Acceptance Rate 67.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 19.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 29/33 26/31
SAT Range 1270/1450 1210/1390
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 15, 2025

Academics

 RIT Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 RIT Penn State
Graduation Rate 64% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $289 $277

Diversity

 RIT Penn State
% Men 65% 53%
% Women 35% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 RIT Penn State
% In-State 47% 51%
% Out-of-State 49% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than RIT based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 16,615 students)

RIT vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIT or Penn State?

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is 192.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($53,720.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.4% higher at RIT than Penn State Main Campus ($53,720.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than RIT ($26,747 vs. $39,600)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 17.5% lower than costs at Rochester Institute of Technology ($12,744 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than Penn State Main Campus (97% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rochester Institute of Technology students is 189.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($29,122 vs. $10,066)

RIT vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rochester Institute of Technology (1251) is 49 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming RIT students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • RIT has a higher acceptance rate (67.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

RIT vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIT 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 RIT .

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Rochester Institute of Technology (87% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Rochester Institute of Technology earn on average $9,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($64,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $1,182 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($26,818 vs. $28,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than RIT graduates. ($277 vs. $289)
  • More RIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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