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 2,830 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #67 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smith.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Smith College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $61,260 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $61,260 $39,626
Room & Board $21,310 $13,030
Avg Net Price $27,823 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $54,311 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 36%

Admission

 Smith College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,869 85,956
Admitted 1,947 46,605
Acceptance Rate 19.7% 54.2%
Enrolled % 33.3% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 -
Typical High School Grades A/A+ -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/34 27/32
SAT Range 1408/1540 1220/1400
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, 2026

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% 8%
% Women 10% 8%
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 15% 51%
% Out-of-State 74% 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 (50,399 students vs. 2,830 students)

Smith College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Smith College is 211.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($61,260.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.6% higher at Smith College than Penn State Main Campus ($61,260.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Smith College ($27,450 vs. $27,823)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 63.5% lower than costs at Smith College ($13,030 vs. $21,310)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Smith College than Penn State Main Campus (68% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Smith College students is 369.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($54,311 vs. $11,577)

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 (54.2%) than Smith College (19.7%)

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/