RIT vs. Penn State Harrisburg

Should I go to Rochester Institute of Technology or Penn State Harrisburg? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RIT or Penn State Harrisburg 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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Rochester Institute of Technology vs. Penn State Harrisburg comparison
Rochester Institute of Technology Penn State Harrisburg College 3 College 4
Rochester Institute of Technology Penn State Harrisburg
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Overview

RIT Penn State Harrisburg
Location Rochester, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,615 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #172 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RIT Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $53,720 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $53,720 $25,854
Room & Board $14,978 $14,978
Avg Net Price $39,600 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $29,122 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 63%

Admission

RIT Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,976 9,925
Admitted 16,105 9,483
Acceptance Rate 67.2% 95.5%
Enrolled % 19.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 29/33 24/28
SAT Range 1270/1450 1100/1310
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 Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

RIT Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 64% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 65% 60%
% Women 35% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 59%
% Black 5% 11%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 10%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

RIT Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 47% 46%
% Out-of-State 49% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (16,615 students vs. 4,572 students)

RIT vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIT or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is 249.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($53,720.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 107.8% higher at RIT than Penn State Harrisburg ($53,720.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than RIT ($22,096 vs. $39,600)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 0% lower than costs at Rochester Institute of Technology ($14,978 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than Penn State Harrisburg (97% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rochester Institute of Technology students is 227.9% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($29,122 vs. $8,882)

RIT vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rochester Institute of Technology (1251) is 208 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming RIT students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman RIT students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than RIT (67.2%)

RIT vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIT or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and RIT .

  • The graduation rate at RIT is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (64% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Rochester Institute of Technology earn on average $9,600 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($64,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $1,182 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($26,818 vs. $28,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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/