United States Coast Guard Academy vs. Penn State

Deciding between United States Coast Guard Academy and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Coast Guard Academy
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • United States Coast Guard Academy New London, Connecticut
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 1,108
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • United States Coast Guard Academy
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • United States Coast Guard Academy -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • United States Coast Guard Academy
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • United States Coast Guard Academy $0
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • United States Coast Guard Academy $0
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • United States Coast Guard Academy $0
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • United States Coast Guard Academy -
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • United States Coast Guard Academy $0
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 1,943
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 436
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 22.4%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 66.1%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 1320
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 29
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 3.79
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • United States Coast Guard Academy A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Very High
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Very High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 27/32
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 1240/1400
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Jan 15, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 7:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • United States Coast Guard Academy
    • Engineering (45%)
    • Social Sciences (23%)
    • Physical Sciences (17%)
    • Business (15%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • United States Coast Guard Academy -
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • United States Coast Guard Academy N/A
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • United States Coast Guard Academy -
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • United States Coast Guard Academy N/A
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • United States Coast Guard Academy N/A
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 63%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 37%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • United States Coast Guard Academy -
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • United States Coast Guard Academy No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 0%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 4%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • United States Coast Guard Academy 94%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • United States Coast Guard Academy No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • United States Coast Guard Academy No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Learn More
  • United States Coast Guard Academy Details
  • Penn State Details

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than United States Coast Guard Academy based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 1,108 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • United States Coast Guard Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Coast Guard Academy 7:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

United States Coast Guard Academy vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, United States Coast Guard Academy or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between Penn State Main Campus and United States Coast Guard Academy ($20,644.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between Penn State and United States Coast Guard Academy ($41,790.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than at United States Coast Guard Academy (37% vs. 0%).

United States Coast Guard Academy vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, United States Coast Guard Academy or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and United States Coast Guard Academy.

  • The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 10 points higher than at United States Coast Guard Academy (1320).
  • Incoming United States Coast Guard Academy students have the same typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate; 29) as students at Penn State (29).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Coast Guard Academy 1240/1400; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Coast Guard Academy 27/32; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: United States Coast Guard Academy - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: United States Coast Guard Academy Jan 15, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than United States Coast Guard Academy (22.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 66.1% at United States Coast Guard Academy vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

United States Coast Guard Academy vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for United States Coast Guard Academy and Penn State? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate is 87%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for United States Coast Guard Academy.
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus have median earnings of about $55,300 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for United States Coast Guard Academy.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.