UNM vs. Penn State

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

 UNM Penn State
Location Albuquerque, NM University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 21,953 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #658 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNM Penn State
Tuition (In State) $6,803 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $25,138 $35,946
Room & Board $10,916 $12,744
Avg Net Price $10,633 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $9,280 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 44%

Admission

 UNM Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,639 85,784
Admitted 12,142 47,360
Acceptance Rate 96.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 28.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/25 26/31
SAT Range 1030/1250 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

Academics

 UNM Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UNM Penn State
Graduation Rate 44% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $201 $277

Diversity

 UNM Penn State
% Men 42% 53%
% Women 58% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 47% 6%
% Native American 6% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UNM Penn State
% In-State 80% 51%
% Out-of-State 18% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UNM based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 21,953 students)

UNM vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNM or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 170% more expensive to attend than UNM for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $6,803.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43% higher at Penn State than University of New Mexico Main Campus ($35,946.00 vs. $25,138.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of New Mexico Main Campus than Penn State ($10,633 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of New Mexico Main Campus are 16.7% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($10,916 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of New Mexico Main Campus than Penn State Main Campus (97% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 8.5% larger than aid received University of New Mexico Main Campus ($10,066 vs. $9,280)

UNM vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 162 points higher than at UNM (1040)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UNM (22)
  • UNM has a higher acceptance rate (96.1%) than Penn State (55.2%)

UNM vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNM 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 UNM.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of New Mexico Main Campus (87% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $12,600 more per year than UNM graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,700)
  • University of New Mexico Main Campus students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • UNM graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNM students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 47%)

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