Trinity College vs. Penn State

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

 Trinity College Penn State
Location Hartford, CT University Park, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 2,276 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #48 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website trincoll.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Trinity College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $64,430 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $64,430 $39,626
Room & Board $17,990 $13,030
Avg Net Price $31,806 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $51,240 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 36%

Admission

 Trinity College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,396 85,956
Admitted 2,144 46,605
Acceptance Rate 33.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 27% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 30/33 27/32
SAT Range 1310/1460 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 Jan 17, 2026

Academics

 Trinity College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (31%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Trinity College Penn State
Graduation Rate 86% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $71,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $217 $277

Diversity

 Trinity College Penn State
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 65% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 Trinity College Penn State
% In-State 13% 51%
% Out-of-State 76% 40%

Campus

 Trinity College Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No 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 Trinity College based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,276 students)

Trinity College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Trinity College or Penn State?

  • Trinity College is 227.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($64,430.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.6% higher at Trinity College than Penn State Main Campus ($64,430.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Trinity College ($27,450 vs. $31,806)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 38.1% lower than costs at Trinity College ($13,030 vs. $17,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Trinity College than Penn State Main Campus (67% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Trinity College students is 342.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($51,240 vs. $11,577)

Trinity College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Trinity College (33.5%)

Trinity College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Trinity College 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 Trinity College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Trinity College (87% vs. 86%)
  • Graduates from Trinity College earn on average $16,200 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($71,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Trinity College students graduate with a $5,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Trinity College graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($217 vs. $277)
  • More Trinity College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 69%)

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