SHU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

Should I go to Sacred Heart University or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHU or Penn State Lehigh Valley 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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Sacred Heart University vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley comparison
Sacred Heart University Penn State Lehigh Valley College 3 College 4
Sacred Heart University
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Overview

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Fairfield, CT Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 10,721 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $24,318
Room & Board $17,520 $12,984
Avg Net Price $45,280 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 78%

Admission

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 1,806
Admitted 8,750 1,699
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 94.1%
Enrolled % 20.3% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/26
SAT Range 1100/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 68% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 35% 57%
% Women 65% 43%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 64%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 12% 1%

Students

SHU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 23% 93%
% Out-of-State 75% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 888 students)

SHU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Sacred Heart University is 216.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 90.4% higher at SHU than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($46,310.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than SHU ($18,142 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 34.9% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($12,984 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sacred Heart University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (99% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 97.1% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($19,484 vs. $9,886)

SHU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Lehigh Valley and SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn on average $4,400 more per year than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates after ten years. ($59,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Sacred Heart University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SHU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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