UCF vs. Penn State

Deciding between University of Central Florida 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.

University of Central Florida
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UCF Orlando, FL
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • UCF Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UCF 69,713
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • UCF Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UCF #412
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UCF -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • UCF Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UCF
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UCF $6,368
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UCF $22,467
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • UCF $12,452
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • UCF $13,351
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UCF $9,704
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UCF 86%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UCF 61,456
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • UCF 24,653
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UCF 40.1%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • UCF 33.5%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UCF 1280
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • UCF 27
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • UCF 3.64
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UCF A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • UCF Difficult
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UCF Low
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • UCF 25/29
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • UCF 1200/1350
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UCF Required
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UCF May 1, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UCF 28:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UCF
    • Business (25%)
    • Health Professions (10%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Education (8%)
    • Engineering (5%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UCF 63%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UCF $48,900
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UCF 59%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UCF $18,270
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UCF $188
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UCF 46%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • UCF 54%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UCF High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • UCF No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • UCF 53%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • UCF 6%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • UCF 11%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UCF 24%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • UCF 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UCF 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UCF 4%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • UCF 1%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UCF 1%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UCF 93%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UCF 6%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Central Florida is larger than Penn State based on total student enrollment (69,713 students vs. 50,737 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, FL (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • University of Central Florida is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Central Florida 28:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

UCF vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than Penn State ($13,351 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Florida are 14% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($12,452 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 224.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than UCF (about $14,276 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $6,368.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 86% higher at Penn State than at University of Central Florida (about $19,323 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $22,467.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Central Florida than at Penn State Main Campus (86% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 16.8% larger than aid received by University of Central Florida students ($11,336 vs. $9,704).

UCF vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCF 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 UCF.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 50 points higher than at UCF (1280).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 27 at UCF).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Central Florida 1200/1350; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Central Florida 25/29; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UCF - Required; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UCF May 1, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than UCF (40.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 33.5% at UCF vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

UCF vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UCF 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 University of Central Florida's (63%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $6,400 more per year than UCF graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $48,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Central Florida graduates have a $8,548 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($18,270 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UCF graduates have an estimated $89 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($188 vs. $277).
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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.