Wooster vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Location Wooster, OH Middletown, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,967 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #198 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wooster.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $57,050 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $57,050 $25,854
Room & Board $13,500 $14,978
Avg Net Price $28,976 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $42,315 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 63%

Admission

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,251 9,925
Admitted 4,080 9,483
Acceptance Rate 56.3% 95.5%
Enrolled % 14.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.76 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 24/28
SAT Range 1250/1450 1100/1310
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, 2025

Academics

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 75% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 49% 60%
% Women 51% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 59%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 9% 10%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 32% 46%
% Out-of-State 51% 27%

Campus

Wooster Penn State Harrisburg
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Wooster based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,967 students)

Wooster vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wooster or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • The College of Wooster is 270.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($57,050.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 120.7% higher at Wooster than Penn State Harrisburg ($57,050.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Wooster ($22,096 vs. $28,976)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of Wooster are 10.9% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,500 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The College of Wooster than Penn State Harrisburg (98% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of Wooster students is 376.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($42,315 vs. $8,882)

Wooster vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Wooster 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 Wooster .

  • The average SAT score at The College of Wooster (1237) is 194 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Wooster students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Wooster students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Wooster (56.3%)

Wooster vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wooster 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 Wooster.

  • The graduation rate at Wooster is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (75% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wooster graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wooster graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg 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/