UNC Chapel Hill vs. Penn State

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Chapel Hill 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
Location Chapel Hill, NC University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 31,705 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,019 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $35,580 $35,946
Room & Board $12,254 $12,744
Avg Net Price $10,614 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $18,066 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 44%

Admission

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 56,341 85,784
Admitted 9,639 47,360
Acceptance Rate 17.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 46% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/34 26/31
SAT Range 1350/1530 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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
Graduation Rate 89% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,479 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $170 $277

Diversity

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
% Men 40% 53%
% Women 60% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 64% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UNC Chapel Hill Penn State
% In-State 83% 51%
% Out-of-State 12% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UNC Chapel Hill based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 31,705 students)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Chapel Hill or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 161.7% more expensive to attend than UNC Chapel Hill for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $7,019.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1% higher at Penn State than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($35,946.00 vs. $35,580.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than Penn State ($10,614 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 4% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,254 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (44% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students is 79.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($18,066 vs. $10,066)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 141 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UNC Chapel Hill (17.1%)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Chapel Hill 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 UNC Chapel Hill.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than Penn State Main Campus (89% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $10,800 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $55,300)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students graduate with a $10,339 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($16,479 vs. $26,818)
  • UNC Chapel Hill graduates are paying $107 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($170 vs. $277)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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