West Point vs. Penn

Deciding between United States Military Academy and University of Pennsylvania? 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
University of Pennsylvania

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • West Point West Point, New York
  • Penn Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • West Point Large Suburban
  • Penn Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • West Point 4,473
  • Penn 29,109
  • Type
  • West Point Public 4 Year
  • Penn Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • West Point
  • Penn #23
  • Religious Affiliation
  • West Point -
  • Penn -
  • Status
  • West Point Non-profit
  • Penn Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • West Point
  • Penn

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • West Point $0
  • Penn $68,686
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • West Point $0
  • Penn $68,686
  • Room & Board
  • West Point $0
  • Penn $19,174
  • Average Net Price
  • West Point -
  • Penn $23,570
  • Average Grant Aid
  • West Point $0
  • Penn $65,458
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 51%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • West Point 12,320
  • Penn 65,226
  • Admitted
  • West Point 1,534
  • Penn 3,523
  • Acceptance Rate
  • West Point 12.5%
  • Penn 5.4%
  • Enrolled
  • West Point 77.9%
  • Penn 68%
  • Typical SAT score
  • West Point 1320
  • Penn 1540
  • Typical ACT score
  • West Point 30
  • Penn 35
  • Average High School GPA
  • West Point 4.0
  • Penn 3.95
  • Typical High School Grades
  • West Point A/A+
  • Penn A
  • Admissions Standards
  • West Point Very High
  • Penn Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • West Point Very High
  • Penn Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • West Point 27/33
  • Penn 34/36
  • SAT Range
  • West Point 1200/1430
  • Penn 1510/1570
  • Submit Test Scores
  • West Point Required
  • Penn Required
  • Application Deadline
  • West Point Jan 31, 2027
  • Penn Jan 5, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • West Point 6:1
  • Penn 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • West Point
    • Engineering (21%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • Foreign Languages (9%)
    • Engineering Technology (6%)
    • Business (6%)
  • Penn
    • Business (26%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Health Professions (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • West Point 80%
  • Penn 96%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn $123,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • West Point -
  • Penn 84%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn $20,633
  • Median Loan Payment
  • West Point N/A
  • Penn $213

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • West Point 78%
  • Penn 44%
  • % Women
  • West Point 22%
  • Penn 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • West Point -
  • Penn Very High
  • HBCU
  • West Point No
  • Penn No
  • % White
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 45%
  • % Asian
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 19%
  • % Black
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 10%
  • % Native American
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 4%
  • % International
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • West Point 0%
  • Penn 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • West Point 7%
  • Penn 15%
  • % Out-of-State
  • West Point 92%
  • Penn 70%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Military Academy in West Point, New York with University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Pennsylvania is larger than West Point based on total student enrollment (29,109 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); University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • United States Military Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Pennsylvania is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Military Academy 6:1; University of Pennsylvania 8:1.

West Point vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, West Point or Penn? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between University of Pennsylvania and West Point ($68,686.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between Penn and United States Military Academy ($68,686.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Pennsylvania than at United States Military Academy (51% vs. 0%).

West Point vs. Penn Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, West Point or Penn? 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 and West Point.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Pennsylvania (1540) is 220 points higher than at West Point (1320).
  • Incoming Penn students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (35 vs. 30 at West Point).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Military Academy 1200/1430; University of Pennsylvania 1510/1570.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Military Academy 27/33; University of Pennsylvania 34/36.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: West Point - Required; Penn - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: West Point Jan 31, 2027; Penn Jan 5, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman West Point students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Penn (3.95).
  • West Point has a higher acceptance rate (12.5%) than Penn (5.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 77.9% at West Point vs. 68% at Penn.

West Point vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for West Point and Penn? 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).

  • University of Pennsylvania's six-year graduation rate (96%) 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.