UH vs. Penn State

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

 UH Penn State
Location Houston, TX University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 46,676 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #468 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UH Penn State
Tuition (In State) $8,685 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $21,165 $39,626
Room & Board $10,830 $13,030
Avg Net Price $13,738 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $11,551 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 36%

Admission

 UH Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,327 85,956
Admitted 21,087 46,605
Acceptance Rate 69.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 26.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 23/28 27/32
SAT Range 1150/1330 1220/1400
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 May 31, 2026

Academics

 UH Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UH Penn State
Graduation Rate 46% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $204 $277

Diversity

 UH Penn State
% Men 9% 8%
% Women 10% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 26% 69%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 32% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UH Penn State
% In-State 93% 51%
% Out-of-State 3% 40%

Campus

 UH 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 UH based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 46,676 students)

UH vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UH or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 126.5% more expensive to attend than UH for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $8,685.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 87.2% higher at Penn State than University of Houston ($39,626.00 vs. $21,165.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than Penn State ($13,738 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 20.3% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($10,830 vs. $13,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Houston than Penn State Main Campus (74% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 0.2% larger than aid received University of Houston ($11,577 vs. $11,551)

UH vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 48 points higher than at UH (1154)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UH (26)
  • UH has a higher acceptance rate (69.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

UH vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UH 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 UH.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Houston (87% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of Houston earn on average $3,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Houston students graduate with a $7,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • UH graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UH students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 61%)

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