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 22,017 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #382 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website louisville.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Louisville Penn State
Tuition (In State) $12,324 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $28,670 $35,946
Room & Board $10,668 $12,744
Avg Net Price $19,327 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $12,216 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 44%

Admission

Louisville Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,462 85,784
Admitted 12,608 47,360
Acceptance Rate 81.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 23.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/27 26/31
SAT Range 1070/1270 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Louisville Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 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 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
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 73% 51%
% Out-of-State 27% 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 (50,028 students vs. 22,017 students)

Louisville vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Louisville or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 49% more expensive to attend than Louisville for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $12,324.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.4% higher at Penn State than University of Louisville ($35,946.00 vs. $28,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisville than Penn State ($19,327 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Louisville are 19.5% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($10,668 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Louisville than Penn State Main Campus (97% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Louisville students is 21.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($12,216 vs. $10,066)

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 (81.5%) than Penn State (55.2%)

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/