SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State

Should I go to SUNY College at Potsdam or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY-Potsdam 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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SUNY College at Potsdam vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
SUNY College at Potsdam Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
SUNY College at Potsdam Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Location Potsdam, NY University Park, PA
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 2,427 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website potsdam.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $35,946
Room & Board $14,600 $12,744
Avg Net Price $15,310 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $11,632 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 44%

Admission

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,170 85,784
Admitted 2,621 47,360
Acceptance Rate 82.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 16.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 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

Academics

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (24%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Graduation Rate 51% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 65% 69%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
% In-State 95% 51%
% Out-of-State 4% 40%

Campus

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than SUNY-Potsdam based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,427 students)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY-Potsdam or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 159.8% more expensive to attend than SUNY-Potsdam for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 111.7% higher at Penn State than SUNY College at Potsdam ($35,946.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College at Potsdam than Penn State ($15,310 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 14.6% lower than costs at SUNY College at Potsdam ($12,744 vs. $14,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College at Potsdam than Penn State Main Campus (93% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College at Potsdam students is 15.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,632 vs. $10,066)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • SUNY-Potsdam has a higher acceptance rate (82.7%) than Penn State (55.2%)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-Potsdam 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 SUNY-Potsdam.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than SUNY College at Potsdam (87% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $16,200 more per year than SUNY-Potsdam graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,100)
  • SUNY College at Potsdam students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY-Potsdam graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY-Potsdam students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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