Salem College vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
Location Winston Salem, NC Middletown, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 519 4,651
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595
Religious Affiliation Moravian Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website salem.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $31,720 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $31,720 $26,112
Room & Board $13,056 $15,870
Avg Net Price $19,000 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $28,860 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 54%

Admission

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,951 10,296
Admitted 1,698 9,924
Acceptance Rate 87% 96.4%
Enrolled % 9.2% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/27 26/30
SAT Range 1078/1315 1110/1320
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

Academics

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 53% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 2% 5%
% Women 14% 6%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 59%
% Black 22% 11%
% Hispanic 12% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 Salem College Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 78% 46%
% Out-of-State 22% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Salem College based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 519 students)

Salem College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Salem College or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Salem College is 106.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($31,720.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.5% higher at Salem College than Penn State Harrisburg ($31,720.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Salem College than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,000 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Salem College are 21.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,056 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Salem College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Salem College students is 242.7% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($28,860 vs. $8,421)

Salem College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Salem College 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 Salem College .

  • The average SAT score at Salem College (1119) is 76 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Salem College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Salem College (3.3)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than Salem College (87%)

Salem College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salem College 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 Salem College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Salem College (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $20,300 more per year than Salem College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $35,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Salem College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Salem College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Salem College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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