St. Mary's vs. Penn State Berks

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

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
Location St. Mary's City, MD Reading, PA
Setting Distant Rural Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,520 2,077
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $25,854
Room & Board $14,146 $14,334
Avg Net Price $20,714 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 66%

Admission

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 5,605
Admitted 2,268 5,453
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 97.3%
Enrolled % 18.1% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/30 23/28
SAT Range 1130/1370 1090/1290
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 Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 79% 55%
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 Berks
% Men 41% 59%
% Women 59% 41%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 68%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 8% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
% In-State 87% 64%
% Out-of-State 12% 30%

Campus

 St. Mary's Penn State Berks
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Berks is larger than than St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (2,077 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Berks is 27% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9% higher at St. Mary's than Penn State Berks ($28,192.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Penn State Berks ($20,714 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Mary's College of Maryland are 1.3% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($14,146 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Penn State Berks (94% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Mary's College of Maryland students is 20.4% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($10,265 vs. $8,528)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 167 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than St. Mary's (77.3%)

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

Which is better, St. Mary's or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and St. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Penn State Berks (79% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks 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 Berks graduates. ($20,370 vs. $26,818)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($210 vs. $277)
  • More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks 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/