UH vs. Penn State

Deciding between University of Houston and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of Houston
Penn State Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UH Houston, TX
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • UH Large City
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UH 47,980
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • UH Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UH #449
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UH -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • UH Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UH
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UH $9,717
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UH $22,547
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • UH $11,286
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • UH $14,309
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UH $12,159
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UH 74%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UH 31,716
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • UH 23,446
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UH 73.9%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • UH 26.5%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UH 1250
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • UH 26
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • UH 3.46
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UH B+
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • UH Difficult
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UH Low
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • UH 23/29
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • UH 1160/1340
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UH Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UH May 31, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UH 22:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UH
    • Business (30%)
    • Psychology (8%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
    • Communication (7%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UH 48%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • UH 52%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UH Very High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • UH No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • UH 26%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • UH 22%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • UH 10%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UH 32%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • UH 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UH 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UH 3%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • UH 5%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UH 1%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UH 93%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UH 3%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UH Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UH No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • UH Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UH Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • UH Yes
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Houston in Houston, TX with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than UH based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 47,980 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Houston is located in Houston, TX (Large City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • University of Houston is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Houston 22:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

UH vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UH or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than Penn State ($14,309 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 22% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($11,286 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 112.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than UH (about $10,927 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $9,717.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 85.3% higher at Penn State than at University of Houston (about $19,243 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $22,547.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Houston than at Penn State Main Campus (74% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Houston students is 7.3% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($12,159 vs. $11,336).

UH vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UH or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and UH.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 80 points higher than at UH (1250).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 26 at UH).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Houston 1160/1340; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Houston 23/29; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UH - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UH May 31, 2027.
  • UH has a higher acceptance rate (73.9%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 26.5% at UH vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

UH vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UH and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than University of Houston's (46%).
  • Graduates from University of Houston earn a median of about $3,700 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($59,000 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Houston graduates have a $7,068 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($19,750 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UH graduates have an estimated $73 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.