UCF vs. Penn State

Should I go to University of Central Florida or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCF or Penn State 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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University of Central Florida vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
University of Central Florida Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of Central Florida Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

UCF Penn State
Location Orlando, FL University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 68,346 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucf.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCF Penn State
Tuition (In State) $4,478 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $19,810 $35,946
Room & Board $11,498 $12,744
Avg Net Price $13,108 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $9,986 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 44%

Admission

UCF Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,977 85,784
Admitted 22,560 47,360
Acceptance Rate 41% 55.2%
Enrolled % 33.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/29 26/31
SAT Range 1200/1360 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

UCF Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

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

Diversity

UCF Penn State
% Men 45% 53%
% Women 55% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 53% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 24% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UCF Penn State
% In-State 91% 51%
% Out-of-State 9% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Central Florida is larger than than Penn State based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 50,028 students)

UCF vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCF or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 310.2% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 81.5% higher at Penn State than University of Central Florida ($35,946.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than Penn State ($13,108 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Florida are 10.8% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,498 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than Penn State Main Campus (93% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 0.8% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($10,066 vs. $9,986)

UCF vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCF or Penn State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State or UCF .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 23 points higher than at UCF (1179)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UCF (26)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UCF (41%)

UCF vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCF or Penn State? 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 and UCF.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Central Florida (87% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,400 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $8,548 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($18,270 vs. $26,818)
  • UCF graduates are paying $89 less per month on federal student loans 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/