Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Sparkill, NY Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,033 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #567
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stac.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $35,500 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $35,500 $24,318
Room & Board $15,370 $12,984
Avg Net Price $21,745 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $29,710 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 78%

Admission

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,861 1,806
Admitted 1,649 1,699
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 94.1%
Enrolled % 14.9% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26
SAT Range 920/1270 1100/1290
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 Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 58% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 48% 57%
% Women 52% 43%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 52% 64%
% Black 10% 6%
% Hispanic 22% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 71% 93%
% Out-of-State 25% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,033 students vs. 888 students)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College is 142.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($35,500.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46% higher at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($35,500.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($18,142 vs. $21,745)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 18.4% lower than costs at Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($12,984 vs. $15,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Thomas Aquinas College students is 200.5% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($29,710 vs. $9,886)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Saint Thomas Aquinas College 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 Saint Thomas Aquinas College .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 77 points higher than at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (942)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.42 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (3.0)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Saint Thomas Aquinas College (88.6%)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Thomas Aquinas College 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 Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Thomas Aquinas College is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (58% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/