TU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

 TU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Towson, MD McKeesport, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,793 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #445
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $7,238 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $23,240 $23,086
Room & Board $13,642 $12,254
Avg Net Price $14,443 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $11,415 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 85%

Admission

 TU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,770 672
Admitted 13,967 589
Acceptance Rate 78.6% 87.6%
Enrolled % 19.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25
SAT Range 1010/1230 1040/1300
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 Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 TU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 64% 47%
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 Greater Allegheny
% Men 39% 61%
% Women 61% 39%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 61% 61%
% Black 18% 19%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 TU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 89% 68%
% Out-of-State 8% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Towson University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (19,793 students vs. 363 students)

TU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TU or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 91% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,238.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.7% higher at TU than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($23,240.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($14,443 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Greater Allegheny are 11.3% lower than costs at Towson University ($12,254 vs. $13,642)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Towson University (85% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Towson University students is 11.2% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,415 vs. $10,269)

TU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Towson University (1081) is 138 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming TU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than TU (78.6%)

TU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TU or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and TU.

  • The graduation rate at TU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (64% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Greater Allegheny graduates. ($17,750 vs. $26,818)
  • TU graduates are paying $94 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($183 vs. $277)
  • More TU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Greater Allegheny 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/