Vassar vs. Penn State

Deciding between Vassar College 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.

Vassar College
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Vassar Poughkeepsie, NY
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Vassar Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Vassar 2,462
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Vassar Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Vassar #46
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Vassar -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Vassar Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Vassar
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Vassar $71,030
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Vassar $71,030
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Vassar $18,240
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Vassar $29,981
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Vassar $57,443
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Vassar 55%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Vassar 12,447
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Vassar 2,311
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Vassar 18.6%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Vassar 28.8%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Vassar 1500
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Vassar 34
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Vassar 3.86
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Vassar A
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Vassar Elite
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Vassar Very High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Vassar 33/35
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Vassar 1450/1550
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Vassar Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Vassar Jan 1, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

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

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Vassar 38%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Vassar 62%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Vassar High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Vassar No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Vassar 59%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Vassar 11%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Vassar 5%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Vassar 11%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Vassar 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Vassar 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Vassar 6%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Vassar 7%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Vassar 0%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Vassar 29%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Vassar 63%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Vassar Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Vassar No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Vassar Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Vassar No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Vassar Yes
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, 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 Vassar based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 2,462 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Vassar College is located in Poughkeepsie, NY (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Vassar College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Vassar College 7:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Vassar vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vassar 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 Vassar ($27,889 vs. $29,981).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 20.6% lower than at Vassar College ($14,474 vs. $18,240).
  • Vassar College is 244.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $50,386 more per year; $71,030.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 70% higher at Vassar than at Penn State Main Campus (about $29,240 more per year; $71,030.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Vassar College than at Penn State Main Campus (55% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vassar College students is 406.7% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($57,443 vs. $11,336).

Vassar vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Vassar 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 Vassar.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Vassar College (1500) is 170 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming Vassar students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (34 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Vassar College 1450/1550; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Vassar College 33/35; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Vassar - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Vassar Jan 1, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Vassar (18.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 28.8% at Vassar vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Vassar vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Vassar 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).

  • Vassar College's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from Vassar College earn a median of about $3,100 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($58,400 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Vassar College graduates have a $11,038 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($15,780 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Vassar graduates have an estimated $114 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.