USJ vs. Penn State

Deciding between University of Saint Joseph and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of Saint Joseph
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • USJ West Hartford, CT
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • USJ Small City
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • USJ 1,952
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • USJ Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USJ #476
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USJ Roman Catholic
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • USJ Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USJ
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USJ $47,278
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USJ $47,278
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • USJ $14,426
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • USJ $29,300
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USJ $30,747
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USJ 100%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USJ 2,050
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • USJ 1,611
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USJ 78.6%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • USJ 12.2%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USJ 1010
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • USJ
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • USJ 3.46
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USJ B+
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • USJ Very Easy
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • USJ
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • USJ
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • USJ 850/1170
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USJ Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • USJ
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USJ 10:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USJ
    • Health Professions (25%)
    • Psychology (15%)
    • Work and Family Studies (12%)
    • General Studies (11%)
    • Human Services (11%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USJ 56%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USJ $51,200
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USJ 60%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USJ $27,000
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USJ $279
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USJ 24%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • USJ 76%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USJ High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • USJ No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • USJ 54%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • USJ 4%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • USJ 16%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • USJ 17%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • USJ 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USJ 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USJ 2%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • USJ 0%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USJ 6%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USJ 82%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USJ 17%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USJ Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USJ No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • USJ Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USJ Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • USJ No
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than USJ based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 1,952 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Saint Joseph is located in West Hartford, CT (Small City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • University of Saint Joseph is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Saint Joseph 10:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

USJ vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USJ or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than USJ ($27,889 vs. $29,300).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Saint Joseph are 0.3% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($14,426 vs. $14,474).
  • University of Saint Joseph is 129% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $26,634 more per year; $47,278.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 13.1% higher at USJ than at Penn State Main Campus (about $5,488 more per year; $47,278.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Saint Joseph than at Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Saint Joseph students is 171.2% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($30,747 vs. $11,336).

USJ vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USJ or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and USJ.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 320 points higher than at USJ (1010).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Saint Joseph 850/1170; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsPenn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USJ - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • USJ has a higher acceptance rate (78.6%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.2% at USJ vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

USJ vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USJ and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than University of Saint Joseph's (56%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $4,100 more per year than USJ graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $51,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than USJ graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, Penn State graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than USJ graduates ($277 vs. $279).
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USJ students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.