St. Mary's vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 St. Mary's Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location St. Mary's City, MD Center Valley, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,520 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #143
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Mary's Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $24,318
Room & Board $14,146 $12,984
Avg Net Price $20,714 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 78%

Admission

 St. Mary's Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 1,806
Admitted 2,268 1,699
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 94.1%
Enrolled % 18.1% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/30 22/26
SAT Range 1130/1370 1100/1290
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 Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 St. Mary's Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 79% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 41% 57%
% Women 59% 43%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 64%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 St. Mary's Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 87% 93%
% Out-of-State 12% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • St Mary's College of Maryland is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,520 students vs. 888 students)

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

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

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 20.7% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.9% higher at St. Mary's than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($28,192.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than St. Mary's ($18,142 vs. $20,714)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 8.9% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,984 vs. $14,146)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Mary's College of Maryland students is 3.8% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($10,265 vs. $9,886)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 126 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • 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 (94.1%) than St. Mary's (77.3%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (79% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($20,370 vs. $26,818)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans 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/