USF Main Campus vs. Penn State

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

USF Main Campus Penn State
Location Tampa, FL University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 49,600 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #423 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usf.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USF Main Campus Penn State
Tuition (In State) $4,559 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $15,473 $35,946
Room & Board $12,622 $12,744
Avg Net Price $11,004 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $11,066 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 44%

Admission

USF Main Campus Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,568 85,784
Admitted 28,801 47,360
Acceptance Rate 43.9% 55.2%
Enrolled % 23.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 24/29 26/31
SAT Range 1140/1330 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

USF Main Campus Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

USF Main Campus Penn State
Graduation Rate 52% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,147 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $197 $277

Diversity

USF Main Campus Penn State
% Men 42% 53%
% Women 58% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 51% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 21% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

USF Main Campus Penn State
% In-State 74% 51%
% Out-of-State 16% 40%

Campus

USF Main Campus 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 USF Main Campus based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 49,600 students)

USF Main Campus vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USF Main Campus or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 302.9% more expensive to attend than USF Main Campus for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $4,559.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 132.3% higher at Penn State than University of South Florida Main Campus ($35,946.00 vs. $15,473.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of South Florida Main Campus than Penn State ($11,004 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Florida Main Campus are 1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,622 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Florida Main Campus than Penn State Main Campus (87% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Florida Main Campus students is 9.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,066 vs. $10,066)

USF Main Campus vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 25 points higher than at USF Main Campus (1177)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at USF Main Campus (26)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than USF Main Campus (43.9%)

USF Main Campus vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USF Main Campus 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 USF Main Campus.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of South Florida Main Campus (87% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $8,800 more per year than USF Main Campus graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,500)
  • University of South Florida Main Campus students graduate with a $7,671 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,147 vs. $26,818)
  • USF Main Campus graduates are paying $80 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($197 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF Main Campus students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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