Smith College vs. Penn State

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

 Smith College Penn State
Location Northampton, MA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,873 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #68 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smith.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Smith College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $58,480 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $58,480 $35,946
Room & Board $20,340 $12,744
Avg Net Price $30,790 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $49,109 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 44%

Admission

 Smith College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,269 85,784
Admitted 1,662 47,360
Acceptance Rate 22.9% 55.2%
Enrolled % 37.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 -
Typical High School Grades A/A+ -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 31/34 26/31
SAT Range 1370/1520 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

 Smith College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Foreign Languages (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Smith College Penn State
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $196 $277

Diversity

 Smith College Penn State
% Men 2% 53%
% Women 98% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 45% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

 Smith College Penn State
% In-State 11% 51%
% Out-of-State 76% 40%

Campus

 Smith College Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Smith College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,873 students)

Smith College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Smith College or Penn State?

  • Smith College is 218.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($58,480.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.7% higher at Smith College than Penn State Main Campus ($58,480.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Smith College ($26,747 vs. $30,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 59.6% lower than costs at Smith College ($12,744 vs. $20,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Smith College than Penn State Main Campus (64% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Smith College students is 387.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($49,109 vs. $10,066)

Smith College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Smith College (22.9%)

Smith College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Smith College 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 Smith College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Smith College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,400 more per year than Smith College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,900)
  • Smith College students graduate with a $7,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Smith College graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($196 vs. $277)
  • More Smith College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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