U of R vs. Penn State
Deciding between University of Rochester and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.
University of Rochester
Penn State Main Campus
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Overview
- U of R
- Penn State
- Location
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U of R Rochester, NY
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Penn State University Park, PA
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- Setting
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U of R Midsize City
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Penn State Small City
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- Total enrollment
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U of R 11,946
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Penn State 50,737
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- Type
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U of R Private 4 Year
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Penn State Public 4 Year
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- National Ranking
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U of R #56
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Penn State #185
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- Religious Affiliation
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U of R -
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Penn State -
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- Status
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U of R Non-profit
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Penn State Non-profit
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- Website
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U of R rochester.edu
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Penn State psu.edu
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- Team Colors
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U of R
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Penn State
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Cost
- U of R
- Penn State
- Tuition (In State)
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U of R $67,080
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Penn State $20,644
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- Tuition (Out of State)
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U of R $67,080
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Penn State $41,790
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- Room & Board
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U of R $19,792
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Penn State $14,474
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- Average Net Price
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U of R $40,462
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Penn State $27,889
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- Average Grant Aid
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U of R $45,500
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Penn State $11,336
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- % Receiving Grant Aid
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U of R 72%
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Penn State 37%
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Admissions
- U of R
- Penn State
- Applied
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U of R 21,384
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Penn State 88,478
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- Admitted
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U of R 8,570
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Penn State 53,579
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- Acceptance Rate
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U of R 40.1%
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Penn State 60.6%
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- Enrolled
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U of R 15.4%
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Penn State 17.1%
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- Typical SAT score
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U of R 1480
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Penn State 1330
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- Typical ACT score
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U of R 32
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Penn State 29
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- Average High School GPA
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U of R 3.75
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Penn State -
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- Typical High School Grades
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U of R A-
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Penn State -
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- Admissions Standards
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U of R Exceptional
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Penn State Very High
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- Applicant Competition
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U of R Low
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Penn State Low
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- ACT Range
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U of R 31/34
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Penn State 27/32
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- SAT Range
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U of R 1410/1540
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Penn State 1240/1420
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- Submit Test Scores
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U of R Test optional
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Penn State Test optional
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- Application Deadline
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U of R Jan 5, 2027
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Penn State
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Academics
- U of R
- Penn State
- Student to Faculty Ratio
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U of R 9:1
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Penn State 16:1
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- Popular Majors
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U of R
- Social Sciences (20%)
- Biology (13%)
- Health Professions (11%)
- Psychology (11%)
- Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
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Penn State
- Business (16%)
- Engineering (12%)
- Communication (9%)
- Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
- Social Sciences (7%)
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Outcomes
- U of R
- Penn State
- Graduation Rate
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U of R 83%
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Penn State 87%
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- Median Earnings (After 10 years)
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U of R $71,000
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Penn State $55,300
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- Making Student Loan Payments
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U of R 79%
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Penn State 69%
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- Median Student Loan Debt
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U of R $24,500
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Penn State $26,818
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- Median Loan Payment
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U of R $253
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Penn State $277
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Diversity
- U of R
- Penn State
- % Men
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U of R 47%
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Penn State 52%
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- % Women
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U of R 53%
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Penn State 48%
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- Racial Diversity
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U of R High
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Penn State Medium
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- HBCU
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U of R No
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Penn State No
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- % White
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U of R 48%
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Penn State 69%
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- % Asian
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U of R 11%
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Penn State 6%
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- % Black
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U of R 5%
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Penn State 4%
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- % Hispanic
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U of R 7%
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Penn State 6%
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- % Native American
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U of R 0%
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Penn State 0%
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- % Pacific Islander
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U of R 0%
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Penn State 0%
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- % Two or More Races
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U of R 3%
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Penn State 3%
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- % International
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U of R 18%
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Penn State 11%
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- % Unknown Race
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U of R 7%
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Penn State 2%
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Students
- U of R
- Penn State
- % In-State
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U of R 30%
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Penn State 53%
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- % Out-of-State
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U of R 45%
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Penn State 40%
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Comparable Facts
Compare University of Rochester in Rochester, NY with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.
Penn State Main Campus is larger than U of R based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 11,946 students)
Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio
- University of Rochester is located in Rochester, NY (Midsize City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
- University of Rochester is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
- Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Rochester 9:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.
U of R vs. Penn State Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, U of R or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than U of R ($27,889 vs. $40,462).
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.9% lower than at University of Rochester ($14,474 vs. $19,792).
- University of Rochester is 224.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $46,436 more per year; $67,080.00 vs. $20,644.00).
- Out-of-state tuition is 60.5% higher at U of R than at Penn State Main Campus (about $25,290 more per year; $67,080.00 vs. $41,790.00).
- A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Rochester than at Penn State Main Campus (72% vs. 37%).
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rochester students is 301.4% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($45,500 vs. $11,336).
U of R vs. Penn State Admissions comparison
Which college is harder to get into, U of R or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and U of R.
- The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Rochester (1480) is 150 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
- Incoming U of R students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (32 vs. 29 at Penn State).
- Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Rochester 1410/1540; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
- Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Rochester 31/34; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
- Submitting SAT or ACT scores: U of R - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
- Typical fall application deadline: U of R Jan 5, 2027.
- Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than U of R (40.1%).
- The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15.4% at U of R vs. 17.1% at Penn State.
U of R vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison
How do outcomes compare for U of R and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).
- Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than University of Rochester's (83%).
- Graduates from University of Rochester earn a median of about $15,700 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($71,000 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
- Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Rochester graduates have a $2,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($24,500 vs. $26,818).
- Among borrowers, U of R graduates have an estimated $24 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($253 vs. $277).
- More U of R graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 69%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.