University of Massachusetts-Boston vs. Penn State Berks

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

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Location Boston, MA Reading, PA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 15,586 2,077
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #448 #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umb.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $14,542 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $35,515 $25,854
Room & Board $16,896 $14,334
Avg Net Price $17,123 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $11,104 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 66%

Admission

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,512 5,605
Admitted 15,757 5,453
Acceptance Rate 80.8% 97.3%
Enrolled % 15.5% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.35 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/29 23/28
SAT Range 1080/1300 1090/1290
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

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 40% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,060 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $228 $277

Diversity

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
% Men 41% 59%
% Women 59% 41%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 36% 68%
% Black 16% 9%
% Hispanic 14% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 12% 3%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
% In-State 78% 64%
% Out-of-State 14% 30%

Campus

University of Massachusetts-Boston Penn State Berks
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Massachusetts Boston is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (15,586 students vs. 2,077 students)

University of Massachusetts-Boston vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, University of Massachusetts-Boston or Penn State Berks?

  • Penn State Berks is 5.8% more expensive to attend than University of Massachusetts-Boston for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $14,542.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.4% higher at University of Massachusetts-Boston than Penn State Berks ($35,515.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Massachusetts Boston than Penn State Berks ($17,123 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 17.9% lower than costs at University of Massachusetts Boston ($14,334 vs. $16,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Boston than Penn State Berks (99% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Massachusetts Boston students is 30.2% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($11,104 vs. $8,528)

University of Massachusetts-Boston vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Massachusetts Boston (1055) is 77 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Berks students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at University of Massachusetts-Boston (3.35)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than University of Massachusetts-Boston (80.8%)

University of Massachusetts-Boston vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, University of Massachusetts-Boston or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and University of Massachusetts-Boston.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Berks is higher than University of Massachusetts Boston (55% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $4,100 more per year than University of Massachusetts-Boston graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,200)
  • University of Massachusetts Boston students graduate with a $4,758 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($22,060 vs. $26,818)
  • University of Massachusetts-Boston graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($228 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Berks graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of Massachusetts-Boston 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/