Ursinus College vs. Penn State

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

 Ursinus College Penn State
Location Collegeville, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,527 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #214 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ursinus.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Ursinus College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $58,016 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $58,016 $35,946
Room & Board $14,624 $12,744
Avg Net Price $33,546 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $40,075 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

 Ursinus College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,237 85,784
Admitted 2,661 47,360
Acceptance Rate 82.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 14.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 28/32 26/31
SAT Range 1180/1380 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 May 1, 2025

Academics

 Ursinus College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Biology (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Ursinus College Penn State
Graduation Rate 80% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 Ursinus College Penn State
% Men 52% 53%
% Women 48% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 74% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Ursinus College Penn State
% In-State 63% 51%
% Out-of-State 36% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Ursinus College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,527 students)

Ursinus College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Ursinus College or Penn State?

  • Ursinus College is 215.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($58,016.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.4% higher at Ursinus College than Penn State Main Campus ($58,016.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Ursinus College ($26,747 vs. $33,546)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 14.8% lower than costs at Ursinus College ($12,744 vs. $14,624)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ursinus College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ursinus College students is 298.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($40,075 vs. $10,066)

Ursinus College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Ursinus College has a higher acceptance rate (82.2%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Ursinus College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Ursinus College 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 Ursinus College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Ursinus College (87% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Ursinus College earn on average $2,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Ursinus College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Ursinus College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Ursinus College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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