UD vs. Penn State

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

 UD Penn State
Location Newark, DE University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 24,039 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #151 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website udel.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UD Penn State
Tuition (In State) $13,370 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $35,890 $35,946
Room & Board $14,234 $12,744
Avg Net Price $18,044 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $12,375 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 44%

Admission

 UD Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 35,362 85,784
Admitted 26,101 47,360
Acceptance Rate 73.8% 55.2%
Enrolled % 18.8% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31 26/31
SAT Range 1190/1360 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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 UD Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UD Penn State
Graduation Rate 78% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,203 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $250 $277

Diversity

 UD Penn State
% Men 43% 53%
% Women 57% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 74% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UD Penn State
% In-State 33% 51%
% Out-of-State 65% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UD based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 24,039 students)

UD vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UD or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 37.4% more expensive to attend than UD for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $13,370.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at Penn State than University of Delaware ($35,946.00 vs. $35,890.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Delaware than Penn State ($18,044 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 11.7% lower than costs at University of Delaware ($12,744 vs. $14,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Delaware than Penn State Main Campus (88% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Delaware students is 22.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($12,375 vs. $10,066)

UD vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 4 points higher than at UD (1198)
  • Incoming UD students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Penn State (27)
  • UD has a higher acceptance rate (73.8%) than Penn State (55.2%)

UD vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UD 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 UD.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Delaware (87% vs. 78%)
  • Graduates from University of Delaware earn on average $6,000 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,300 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Delaware students graduate with a $2,615 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($24,203 vs. $26,818)
  • UD graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More UD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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