St. Mary's vs. Penn State

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

 St. Mary's Penn State
Location St. Mary's City, MD University Park, PA
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 1,520 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's Penn State
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $35,946
Room & Board $14,146 $12,744
Avg Net Price $20,714 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 44%

Admission

 St. Mary's Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 85,784
Admitted 2,268 47,360
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 55.2%
Enrolled % 18.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 28/30 26/31
SAT Range 1130/1370 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

 St. Mary's Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's Penn State
Graduation Rate 79% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $210 $277

Diversity

 St. Mary's Penn State
% Men 41% 53%
% Women 59% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 St. Mary's Penn State
% In-State 87% 51%
% Out-of-State 12% 40%

Campus

 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 51.6% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.5% higher at Penn State than St Mary's College of Maryland ($35,946.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Penn State ($20,714 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 11% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,744 vs. $14,146)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Penn State Main Campus (94% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Mary's College of Maryland students is 2% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,265 vs. $10,066)

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 57 points higher than at St. Mary's (1145)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at St. Mary's (25)
  • St. Mary's has a higher acceptance rate (77.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than St Mary's College of Maryland (87% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $3,800 more per year than St. Mary's graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,500)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $6,448 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($20,370 vs. $26,818)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($210 vs. $277)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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