UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State

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

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
Location Charlotte, NC University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 29,551 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #562 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
Tuition (In State) $3,812 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $17,936 $35,946
Room & Board $12,896 $12,744
Avg Net Price $13,951 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $7,907 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 44%

Admission

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,355 85,784
Admitted 17,007 47,360
Acceptance Rate 79.6% 55.2%
Enrolled % 24.4% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/27 26/31
SAT Range 1070/1290 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 Jun 1, 2025

Academics

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
Graduation Rate 53% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $237 $277

Diversity

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
% Men 49% 53%
% Women 51% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 60% 69%
% Black 17% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 UNC Charlotte Penn State
% In-State 89% 51%
% Out-of-State 8% 40%

Campus

 UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 29,551 students)

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 381.8% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 100.4% higher at Penn State than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($35,946.00 vs. $17,936.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than Penn State ($13,951 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.2% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($12,744 vs. $12,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than Penn State Main Campus (60% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 27.3% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($10,066 vs. $7,907)

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 109 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1093)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UNC Charlotte (24)
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than Penn State (55.2%)

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (87% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,700 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,600)
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte students graduate with a $3,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • UNC Charlotte graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 61%)

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