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 8,035 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #405 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umich.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UM-Dearborn Penn State
Tuition (In State) $14,544 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $30,960 $39,626
Room & Board $10,803 $13,030
Avg Net Price $12,798 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $9,552 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 36%

Admission

 UM-Dearborn Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,373 85,956
Admitted 7,254 46,605
Acceptance Rate 58.6% 54.2%
Enrolled % 15.9% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 23/30 27/32
SAT Range 990/1260 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 Apr 1, 2026

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 15% 8%
% Women 9% 8%
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 93% 51%
% Out-of-State 3% 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 (50,399 students vs. 8,035 students)

UM-Dearborn vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 35.3% more expensive to attend than UM-Dearborn for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $14,544.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28% higher at Penn State than University of Michigan Dearborn ($39,626.00 vs. $30,960.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Michigan Dearborn than Penn State ($12,798 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Michigan Dearborn are 20.6% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($10,803 vs. $13,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Michigan Dearborn than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 21.2% larger than aid received University of Michigan Dearborn ($11,577 vs. $9,552)

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)
  • UM-Dearborn has a higher acceptance rate (58.6%) than Penn State (54.2%)

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/