SUNY Poly vs. Penn State

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

 SUNY Poly Penn State
Location Utica, NY University Park, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,842 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #257 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Poly Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $17,830 $35,946
Room & Board $14,008 $12,744
Avg Net Price $13,799 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $9,497 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 44%

Admission

 SUNY Poly Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,919 85,784
Admitted 2,384 47,360
Acceptance Rate 81.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 16% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31 26/31
SAT Range 1040/1400 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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 SUNY Poly Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Poly Penn State
Graduation Rate 47% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,585 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $171 $277

Diversity

 SUNY Poly Penn State
% Men 59% 53%
% Women 41% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 SUNY Poly Penn State
% In-State 95% 51%
% Out-of-State 3% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,842 students)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Poly or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 159.8% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 101.6% higher at Penn State than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($35,946.00 vs. $17,830.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Penn State ($13,799 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 9.9% lower than costs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($12,744 vs. $14,008)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Main Campus (89% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 6% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($10,066 vs. $9,497)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 61 points higher than at SUNY Poly (1141)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at SUNY Poly (26)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than Penn State (55.2%)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly 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 Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $2,100 more per year than SUNY Poly graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $53,200)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $10,233 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($16,585 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $106 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($171 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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