UMBC vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to University of Maryland Baltimore County or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UMBC or Penn State Beaver 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 Maryland Baltimore County vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
University of Maryland Baltimore County Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
University of Maryland Baltimore County
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Overview

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
Location Baltimore, MD Monaca, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 14,148 504
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #263
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umbc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $9,238 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $26,594 $23,316
Room & Board $14,204 $12,852
Avg Net Price $17,704 $19,329
Avg Grant Aid $9,956 $8,820
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 84%

Admission

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,150 1,603
Admitted 9,762 1,478
Acceptance Rate 74.2% 92.2%
Enrolled % 20.3% 11.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/30 21/26
SAT Range 1220/1410 1050/1320
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 1, 2025

Academics

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Computer and Information Sciences (17%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 57% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 67% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,197 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $219 $277

Diversity

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
% Men 14% 1%
% Women 12% 2%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 44% 75%
% Black 17% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 UMBC Penn State Beaver
% In-State 85% 63%
% Out-of-State 6% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Maryland Baltimore County is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (14,148 students vs. 504 students)

UMBC vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMBC or Penn State Beaver?

  • Penn State Beaver is 49.6% more expensive to attend than UMBC for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $9,238.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.1% higher at UMBC than Penn State Beaver ($26,594.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Maryland Baltimore County than Penn State Beaver ($17,704 vs. $19,329)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 10.5% lower than costs at University of Maryland Baltimore County ($12,852 vs. $14,204)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Maryland Baltimore County than Penn State Beaver (87% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Maryland Baltimore County students is 12.9% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($9,956 vs. $8,820)

UMBC vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Maryland Baltimore County (1209) is 210 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming UMBC students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than UMBC (74.2%)

UMBC vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UMBC or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and UMBC.

  • The graduation rate at UMBC is higher than Penn State Beaver (57% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Maryland Baltimore County earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State Beaver graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Maryland Baltimore County students graduate with a $5,621 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($21,197 vs. $26,818)
  • UMBC graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($219 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMBC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 67%)

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