St. Mary's vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

Comparable Facts

Compare St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD with Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. Mary's College of Maryland is larger than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,630 students vs. 867 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• St. Mary's College of Maryland is located in St. Mary's City, MD (Distant Rural setting); Penn State Lehigh Valley is in Center Valley, PA (Large Suburban setting).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Lehigh Valley is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: St. Mary's College of Maryland 10:1; Penn State Lehigh Valley 14:1.

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than St. Mary's ($19,066 vs. $21,071).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 5% lower than at St. Mary's College of Maryland ($15,274 vs. $16,079).
• St. Mary's College of Maryland is 0.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Lehigh Valley (about $90 more per year; $15,298.00 vs. $15,208.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 23.6% higher at St. Mary's than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (about $5,982 more per year; $31,374.00 vs. $25,392.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at St. Mary's College of Maryland than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (98% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by St. Mary's College of Maryland students is 25.7% larger than aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students ($11,398 vs. $9,065).

St. Mary's vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Lehigh Valley and St. Mary's.

• The typical SAT score (median estimate) at St. Mary's College of Maryland (1240) is 10 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1230).
• Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 1143/1340; Penn State Lehigh Valley 1130/1320.
• Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St. Mary's College of Maryland 26/31.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St. Mary's - Test optional; Penn State Lehigh Valley - Test optional.
• Typical fall application deadline: St. Mary's Jan 15, 2027.
• Accepted freshman St. Mary's students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42).
• Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than St. Mary's (68.6%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.3% at St. Mary's vs. 14% at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

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

How do outcomes compare for St. Mary's and Penn State Lehigh Valley? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• St. Mary's College of Maryland's six-year graduation rate (79%) is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley's (47%).
• Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn a median of about $3,800 more per year than St. Mary's graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $51,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, St. Mary's College of Maryland graduates have a $6,448 lower median loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates ($20,370 vs. $26,818).
• Among borrowers, St. Mary's graduates have an estimated $67 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates ($210 vs. $277).
• More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.