UM-Dearborn vs. Penn State

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

UM-Dearborn Penn State
Location Dearborn, MI University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 8,223 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #446 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umich.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UM-Dearborn Penn State
Tuition (In State) $13,920 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $29,184 $35,946
Room & Board $9,048 $12,744
Avg Net Price $12,444 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $10,761 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 44%

Admission

UM-Dearborn Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,026 85,784
Admitted 6,506 47,360
Acceptance Rate 54.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 15.4% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/28 26/31
SAT Range 1010/1290 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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

UM-Dearborn Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

UM-Dearborn Penn State
Graduation Rate 49% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $266 $277

Diversity

UM-Dearborn Penn State
% Men 55% 53%
% Women 45% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 69%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UM-Dearborn Penn State
% In-State 94% 51%
% Out-of-State 4% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UM-Dearborn based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 8,223 students)

UM-Dearborn vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UM-Dearborn or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 32% more expensive to attend than UM-Dearborn for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $13,920.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.2% higher at Penn State than University of Michigan Dearborn ($35,946.00 vs. $29,184.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Michigan Dearborn than Penn State ($12,444 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Michigan Dearborn are 40.8% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($9,048 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Michigan Dearborn than Penn State Main Campus (92% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Michigan Dearborn students is 6.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,761 vs. $10,066)

UM-Dearborn vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 97 points higher than at UM-Dearborn (1105)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UM-Dearborn (24)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UM-Dearborn (54.1%)

UM-Dearborn vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UM-Dearborn 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 UM-Dearborn.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Michigan Dearborn (87% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $2,500 more per year than UM-Dearborn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,800)
  • University of Michigan Dearborn students graduate with a $1,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($25,750 vs. $26,818)
  • UM-Dearborn graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($266 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UM-Dearborn students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 46%)

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