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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass Hamilton College Colgate UB NC State Michigan State Skidmore College
Vassar College vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Vassar College Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Vassar College Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Vassar Penn State
Location Poughkeepsie, NY University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,459 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #47 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vassar.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Vassar Penn State
Tuition (In State) $63,840 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $63,840 $35,946
Room & Board $16,560 $12,744
Avg Net Price $30,603 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $50,193 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 44%

Admission

 Vassar Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,412 85,784
Admitted 2,129 47,360
Acceptance Rate 18.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 32% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/34 26/31
SAT Range 1430/1535 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 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

 Vassar Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 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 38% 53%
% Women 62% 47%
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 24% 51%
% Out-of-State 69% 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 (50,028 students vs. 2,459 students)

Vassar vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Vassar or Penn State?

  • Vassar College is 247.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($63,840.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 77.6% higher at Vassar than Penn State Main Campus ($63,840.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Vassar ($26,747 vs. $30,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 29.9% lower than costs at Vassar College ($12,744 vs. $16,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vassar College than Penn State Main Campus (57% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vassar College students is 398.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($50,193 vs. $10,066)

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 (55.2%) than Vassar (18.7%)

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/