TU vs. Penn State Abington

Should I go to Towson University or Penn State Abington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TU or Penn State Abington 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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Towson University vs. Penn State Abington comparison
Towson University Penn State Abington College 3 College 4
Towson University Penn State Abington
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Overview

 TU Penn State Abington
Location Towson, MD Abington, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,793 3,090
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #445 #694
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TU Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $7,238 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $23,240 $24,586
Room & Board $13,642 $10,694
Avg Net Price $14,443 $20,460
Avg Grant Aid $11,415 $9,589
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 79%

Admission

 TU Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,770 6,463
Admitted 13,967 6,037
Acceptance Rate 78.6% 93.4%
Enrolled % 19.1% 14.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 23/31
SAT Range 1010/1230 1070/1310
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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 TU Penn State Abington
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 TU Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 64% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $183 $277

Diversity

 TU Penn State Abington
% Men 39% 59%
% Women 61% 41%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 61% 50%
% Black 18% 13%
% Hispanic 6% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 TU Penn State Abington
% In-State 89% 68%
% Out-of-State 8% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Towson University is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (19,793 students vs. 3,090 students)

TU vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TU or Penn State Abington?

  • Penn State Abington is 102.9% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $7,238.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.8% higher at Penn State Abington than Towson University ($24,586.00 vs. $23,240.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than Penn State Abington ($14,443 vs. $20,460)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 27.6% lower than costs at Towson University ($10,694 vs. $13,642)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than Towson University (79% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Towson University students is 19% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($11,415 vs. $9,589)

TU vs. Penn State Abington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Towson University (1081) is 106 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming TU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman TU students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than TU (78.6%)

TU vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TU or Penn State Abington? 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 Abington and TU.

  • The graduation rate at TU is higher than Penn State Abington (64% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington earn on average $1,800 more per year than TU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $53,500)
  • Towson University students graduate with a $9,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Abington graduates. ($17,750 vs. $26,818)
  • TU graduates are paying $94 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($183 vs. $277)
  • More TU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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