USMMA vs. Penn State Harrisburg

Should I go to United States Merchant Marine Academy or Penn State Harrisburg? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USMMA 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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United States Merchant Marine Academy vs. Penn State Harrisburg comparison
United States Merchant Marine Academy Penn State Harrisburg College 3 College 4
United States Merchant Marine Academy Penn State Harrisburg
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Overview

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
Location Kings Point, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 961 4,651
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #595
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usmma.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $0 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $0 $26,112
Room & Board $0 $15,870
Avg Net Price $5,173 $22,406
Avg Grant Aid $4,374 $8,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 7% 54%

Admission

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,392 10,296
Admitted 452 9,924
Acceptance Rate 32.5% 96.4%
Enrolled % 61.3% 12.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 23/29 26/30
SAT Range 1140/1300 1110/1320
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate - 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $92,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments - 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $67 $277

Diversity

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 1% 5%
% Women 1% 6%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 75% 59%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 USMMA Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 15% 46%
% Out-of-State 85% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than USMMA based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 961 students)

USMMA vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is ?% more expensive to attend than USMMA for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $0.00)
  • Out of state tuition is ?% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than United States Merchant Marine Academy ($26,112.00 vs. $0.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at United States Merchant Marine Academy than Penn State Harrisburg ($5,173 vs. $22,406)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than United States Merchant Marine Academy (54% vs. 7%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 92.5% larger than aid received United States Merchant Marine Academy ($8,421 vs. $4,374)

USMMA vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USMMA 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 USMMA .

  • The average SAT score at United States Merchant Marine Academy (1220) is 177 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Accepted freshman USMMA students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than USMMA (32.5%)

USMMA vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USMMA 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 USMMA.

  • Graduates from United States Merchant Marine Academy earn on average $37,100 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($92,400 vs. $55,300)
  • United States Merchant Marine Academy students graduate with a $20,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($6,500 vs. $26,818)
  • USMMA graduates are paying $210 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($67 vs. $277)

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