UC vs. Penn State

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

 UC Penn State
Location Cincinnati, OH University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 41,155 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #413 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,498 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $26,862 $35,946
Room & Board $12,852 $12,744
Avg Net Price $20,149 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $8,733 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 44%

Admission

 UC Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,025 85,784
Admitted 25,024 47,360
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 25.5% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/29 26/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2025

Academics

 UC Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Penn State
Graduation Rate 59% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $237 $277

Diversity

 UC Penn State
% Men 46% 53%
% Women 54% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 75% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 UC Penn State
% In-State 78% 51%
% Out-of-State 17% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UC based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 41,155 students)

UC vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 59.7% more expensive to attend than UC for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $11,498.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 33.8% higher at Penn State than University of Cincinnati Main Campus ($35,946.00 vs. $26,862.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Cincinnati Main Campus than Penn State ($20,149 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 0.8% lower than costs at University of Cincinnati Main Campus ($12,744 vs. $12,852)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Cincinnati Main Campus than Penn State Main Campus (64% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 15.3% larger than aid received University of Cincinnati Main Campus ($10,066 vs. $8,733)

UC vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 37 points higher than at UC (1165)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UC (26)
  • UC has a higher acceptance rate (86.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

UC vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC 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 UC.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Cincinnati Main Campus (87% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $9,700 more per year than UC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,600)
  • University of Cincinnati Main Campus students graduate with a $3,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • UC graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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