Wooster vs. Penn State

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

 Wooster Penn State
Location Wooster, OH University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,876 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #181 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wooster.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wooster Penn State
Tuition (In State) $59,050 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $59,050 $39,626
Room & Board $14,000 $13,030
Avg Net Price $29,529 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $43,534 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 36%

Admission

 Wooster Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,031 85,956
Admitted 3,819 46,605
Acceptance Rate 54.3% 54.2%
Enrolled % 11.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.76 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 27/32
SAT Range 1250/1450 1220/1400
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 Feb 15, 2026

Academics

 Wooster Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Wooster Penn State
Graduation Rate 75% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Wooster Penn State
% Men 36% 8%
% Women 39% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Wooster Penn State
% In-State 34% 51%
% Out-of-State 50% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Wooster based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 1,876 students)

Wooster vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wooster or Penn State?

  • The College of Wooster is 200.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($59,050.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49% higher at Wooster than Penn State Main Campus ($59,050.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Wooster ($27,450 vs. $29,529)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 7.4% lower than costs at The College of Wooster ($13,030 vs. $14,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The College of Wooster than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of Wooster students is 276% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($43,534 vs. $11,577)

Wooster vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The College of Wooster (1237) is 35 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Wooster students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Wooster has a higher acceptance rate (54.3%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Wooster vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wooster 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 Wooster.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than The College of Wooster (87% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,100 more per year than Wooster graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,200)
  • The College of Wooster students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wooster graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wooster graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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