SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Utica, NY Center Valley, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,842 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #257
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $17,830 $24,318
Room & Board $14,008 $12,984
Avg Net Price $13,799 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $9,497 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 78%

Admission

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,919 1,806
Admitted 2,384 1,699
Acceptance Rate 81.7% 94.1%
Enrolled % 16% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/31 22/26
SAT Range 1040/1400 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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 47% 47%
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 59% 57%
% Women 41% 43%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 64%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 SUNY Poly Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 95% 93%
% Out-of-State 3% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,842 students vs. 888 students)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 106.8% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.4% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($24,318.00 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 Lehigh Valley ($13,799 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 7.9% lower than costs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($12,984 vs. $14,008)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Lehigh Valley (89% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 4.1% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($9,886 vs. $9,497)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (1141) is 122 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming SUNY Poly students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Poly students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than SUNY Poly (81.7%)

SUNY Poly vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly 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 SUNY Poly.

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