Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Berks

Should I go to Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Penn State Berks? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Penn State Berks 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
Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Berks comparison
Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Location Sparkill, NY Reading, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,033 2,077
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #567 #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stac.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $35,500 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $35,500 $25,854
Room & Board $15,370 $14,334
Avg Net Price $21,745 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $29,710 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 66%

Admission

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,861 5,605
Admitted 1,649 5,453
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 97.3%
Enrolled % 14.9% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.39
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28
SAT Range 920/1270 1090/1290
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 58% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
% Men 48% 59%
% Women 52% 41%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 52% 68%
% Black 10% 9%
% Hispanic 22% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 3% 3%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
% In-State 71% 64%
% Out-of-State 25% 30%

Campus

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Berks
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Berks is larger than than Saint Thomas Aquinas College based on total student enrollment (2,077 students vs. 2,033 students)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Penn State Berks?

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College is 130.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($35,500.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.3% higher at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Berks ($35,500.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($21,728 vs. $21,745)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 7.2% lower than costs at Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($14,334 vs. $15,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Berks (100% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Thomas Aquinas College students is 248.4% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($29,710 vs. $8,528)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Berks (978) is 36 points higher than at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (942)
  • Incoming Penn State Berks students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Berks students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (3.0)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Saint Thomas Aquinas College (88.6%)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Thomas Aquinas College is higher than Penn State Berks (58% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $7,300 more per year than Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,000)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College students graduate with a $4,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 69%)

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