UO vs. Penn State

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

 UO Penn State
Location Eugene, OR University Park, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 23,786 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #340 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uoregon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UO Penn State
Tuition (In State) $13,014 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $40,647 $39,626
Room & Board $15,840 $13,030
Avg Net Price $23,917 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $8,547 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 36%

Admission

 UO Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 39,400 85,956
Admitted 33,532 46,605
Acceptance Rate 85.1% 54.2%
Enrolled % 15% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/30 27/32
SAT Range 1130/1360 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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UO Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UO Penn State
Graduation Rate 66% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,101 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $218 $277

Diversity

 UO Penn State
% Men 7% 8%
% Women 9% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 60% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UO Penn State
% In-State 47% 51%
% Out-of-State 51% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UO based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 23,786 students)

UO vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UO or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 51.2% more expensive to attend than UO for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $13,014.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at UO than Penn State Main Campus ($40,647.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Oregon than Penn State ($23,917 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 21.6% lower than costs at University of Oregon ($13,030 vs. $15,840)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Oregon than Penn State Main Campus (85% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 35.5% larger than aid received University of Oregon ($11,577 vs. $8,547)

UO vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 83 points higher than at UO (1119)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UO (25)
  • UO has a higher acceptance rate (85.1%) than Penn State (54.2%)

UO vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UO 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 UO.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Oregon (87% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,300 more per year than UO graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • University of Oregon students graduate with a $5,717 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,101 vs. $26,818)
  • UO graduates are paying $59 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($218 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UO students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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