West Point vs. Penn State

Deciding between United States Military 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 Military Academy
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • West Point West Point, New York
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • West Point Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • West Point 4,473
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • West Point Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • West Point
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • West Point -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • West Point Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • West Point
  • Penn State

  • Cost

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

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • West Point 12,320
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • West Point 1,534
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • West Point 12.5%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • West Point 77.9%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • West Point 1320
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • West Point 30
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • West Point 4.0
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • West Point A/A+
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • West Point Very High
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • West Point Very High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • West Point 27/33
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • West Point 1200/1430
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • West Point Required
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • West Point Jan 31, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • West Point 6:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • West Point
    • Engineering (21%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • Foreign Languages (9%)
    • Engineering Technology (6%)
    • Business (6%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • West Point 80%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • West Point -
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • West Point 78%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • West Point 22%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • West Point -
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • West Point No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • West Point 7%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • West Point 92%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • West Point Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • West Point Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • West Point Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • West Point No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • West Point No
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Military Academy in West Point, New York 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 West Point based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 4,473 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Military Academy is located in West Point, New York (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • United States Military 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 Military Academy 6:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

West Point vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, West Point 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 West Point ($20,644.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between Penn State and United States Military Academy ($41,790.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than at United States Military Academy (37% vs. 0%).

West Point vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, West Point or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and West Point.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 10 points higher than at West Point (1320).
  • Incoming West Point students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Military Academy 1200/1430; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Military Academy 27/33; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: West Point - Required; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: West Point Jan 31, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than West Point (12.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 77.9% at West Point vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

West Point vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for West Point and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than United States Military Academy's (80%).

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.