SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
Location Utica, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,704 4,651
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #307 #595
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $18,720 $26,112
Room & Board $14,750 $15,870
Avg Net Price $14,646 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $8,137 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 54%

Admission

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,936 10,296
Admitted 3,872 9,924
Acceptance Rate 78.4% 96.4%
Enrolled % 10% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/27 26/30
SAT Range 1150/1330 1110/1320
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, 2026

Academics

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 11% 5%
% Women 19% 6%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 59%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 SUNY Poly Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 95% 46%
% Out-of-State 3% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than SUNY Poly based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 2,704 students)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.5% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($26,112.00 vs. $18,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Harrisburg ($14,646 vs. $22,406)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 7.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,750 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Harrisburg (90% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 3.5% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($8,421 vs. $8,137)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Poly 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 Poly .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (1141) is 98 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming SUNY Poly students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly 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 Poly (78.4%)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly 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 Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($16,585 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $106 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($171 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/