SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Harrisburg

Should I go to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry or Penn State Harrisburg? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY-ESF or Penn State Harrisburg 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 of Environmental Science and Forestry vs. Penn State Harrisburg comparison
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Penn State Harrisburg College 3 College 4
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Penn State Harrisburg
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Overview

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
Location Syracuse, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,737 4,651
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #255 #595
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website esf.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $18,900 $26,112
Room & Board $17,780 $15,870
Avg Net Price $19,644 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $8,675 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 54%

Admission

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,541 10,296
Admitted 2,937 9,924
Acceptance Rate 82.9% 96.4%
Enrolled % 13.6% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 26/30
SAT Range 1130/1300 1110/1320
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (38%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (37%)
  • Architecture (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Construction Trades (4%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 66% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $204 $277

Diversity

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 6% 5%
% Women 9% 6%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 82% 59%
% Black 1% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 75% 46%
% Out-of-State 25% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than SUNY-ESF based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 2,737 students)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY-ESF for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.2% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($26,112.00 vs. $18,900.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,644 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 12% lower than costs at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($15,870 vs. $17,780)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry than Penn State Harrisburg (94% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students is 3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($8,675 vs. $8,421)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (1215) is 172 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming SUNY-ESF students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY-ESF students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than SUNY-ESF (82.9%)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-ESF or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and SUNY-ESF.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY-ESF is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (66% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $9,100 more per year than SUNY-ESF graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,200)
  • SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students graduate with a $7,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY-ESF graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More SUNY-ESF graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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