Louisville vs. Penn State

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

Louisville Penn State
Location Louisville, KY University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 22,139 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #411 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website louisville.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Louisville Penn State
Tuition (In State) $12,632 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $28,978 $39,626
Room & Board $11,690 $13,030
Avg Net Price $18,808 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $13,148 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 36%

Admission

Louisville Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,821 85,956
Admitted 11,937 46,605
Acceptance Rate 80.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 26.1% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/27 27/32
SAT Range 1020/1250 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 Feb 15, 2026

Academics

Louisville Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Louisville Penn State
Graduation Rate 51% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,656 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $203 $277

Diversity

Louisville Penn State
% Men 12% 8%
% Women 15% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

Louisville Penn State
% In-State 74% 51%
% Out-of-State 25% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Louisville based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 22,139 students)

Louisville vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Louisville or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 55.7% more expensive to attend than Louisville for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $12,632.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.7% higher at Penn State than University of Louisville ($39,626.00 vs. $28,978.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisville than Penn State ($18,808 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Louisville are 11.5% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,690 vs. $13,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Louisville than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Louisville students is 13.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($13,148 vs. $11,577)

Louisville vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 43 points higher than at Louisville (1159)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Louisville (26)
  • Louisville has a higher acceptance rate (80.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Louisville vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Louisville 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 Louisville.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Louisville (87% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $10,100 more per year than Louisville graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,200)
  • University of Louisville students graduate with a $7,162 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,656 vs. $26,818)
  • Louisville graduates are paying $74 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($203 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Louisville students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 58%)

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