Salisbury vs. Penn State

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

 Salisbury Penn State
Location Salisbury, MD University Park, PA
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 7,123 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #357 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website salisbury.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Salisbury Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,556 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $18,032 $35,946
Room & Board $12,990 $12,744
Avg Net Price $19,756 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $6,917 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 44%

Admission

 Salisbury Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,108 85,784
Admitted 7,383 47,360
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 18.7% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/27 26/31
SAT Range 1180/1320 1210/1390
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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Salisbury Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Salisbury Penn State
Graduation Rate 67% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,153 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $208 $277

Diversity

 Salisbury Penn State
% Men 43% 53%
% Women 57% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 69%
% Black 13% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Salisbury Penn State
% In-State 80% 51%
% Out-of-State 19% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Salisbury based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 7,123 students)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Salisbury or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 143.1% more expensive to attend than Salisbury for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,556.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 99.3% higher at Penn State than Salisbury University ($35,946.00 vs. $18,032.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Salisbury University than Penn State ($19,756 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.9% lower than costs at Salisbury University ($12,744 vs. $12,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Salisbury University than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 45.5% larger than aid received Salisbury University ($10,066 vs. $6,917)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Salisbury has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salisbury or Penn State? 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 and Salisbury.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Salisbury University (87% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $3,300 more per year than Salisbury graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,000)
  • Salisbury University students graduate with a $6,665 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($20,153 vs. $26,818)
  • Salisbury graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($208 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Salisbury students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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