Vassar vs. Penn State

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

 Vassar Penn State
Location Poughkeepsie, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,456 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #46 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vassar.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Vassar Penn State
Tuition (In State) $66,870 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $66,870 $39,626
Room & Board $17,415 $13,030
Avg Net Price $29,733 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $53,840 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 36%

Admission

 Vassar Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,145 85,956
Admitted 2,153 46,605
Acceptance Rate 17.7% 54.2%
Enrolled % 32% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 33/35 27/32
SAT Range 1435/1550 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 1, 2026

Academics

 Vassar Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Vassar Penn State
Graduation Rate 91% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,780 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $163 $277

Diversity

 Vassar Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 7% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Vassar Penn State
% In-State 28% 51%
% Out-of-State 64% 40%

Campus

 Vassar 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 Vassar based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,456 students)

Vassar vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vassar or Penn State?

  • Vassar College is 239.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($66,870.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.8% higher at Vassar than Penn State Main Campus ($66,870.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Vassar ($27,450 vs. $29,733)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 33.7% lower than costs at Vassar College ($13,030 vs. $17,415)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vassar College than Penn State Main Campus (58% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vassar College students is 365.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($53,840 vs. $11,577)

Vassar vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vassar College (1405) is 203 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Vassar students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Vassar (17.7%)

Vassar vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Vassar 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 Vassar.

  • The graduation rate at Vassar is higher than Penn State Main Campus (91% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Vassar College earn on average $3,100 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($58,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Vassar College students graduate with a $11,038 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($15,780 vs. $26,818)
  • Vassar graduates are paying $114 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($163 vs. $277)
  • More Vassar graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 69%)

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