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 46,700 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #452 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UH Penn State
Tuition (In State) $8,685 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $20,877 $35,946
Room & Board $10,418 $12,744
Avg Net Price $14,056 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $11,457 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 44%

Admission

 UH Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,783 85,784
Admitted 19,728 47,360
Acceptance Rate 66.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 28.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 23/29 26/31
SAT Range 1160/1330 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 May 31, 2025

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 48% 53%
% Women 52% 47%
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 (50,028 students vs. 46,700 students)

UH vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UH or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 111.5% more expensive to attend than UH for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $8,685.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.2% higher at Penn State than University of Houston ($35,946.00 vs. $20,877.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than Penn State ($14,056 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 22.3% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($10,418 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Houston than Penn State Main Campus (75% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Houston students is 13.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,457 vs. $10,066)

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 (66.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

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/