JCU vs. Penn State Harrisburg

Should I go to John Carroll University or Penn State Harrisburg? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if JCU or Penn State Harrisburg 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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John Carroll University vs. Penn State Harrisburg comparison
John Carroll University Penn State Harrisburg College 3 College 4
John Carroll University Penn State Harrisburg
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Overview

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
Location University Heights, OH Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,922 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #286 #613
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website jcu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $45,490 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $45,490 $25,854
Room & Board $13,200 $14,978
Avg Net Price $30,496 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $30,415 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 63%

Admission

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,310 9,925
Admitted 3,550 9,483
Acceptance Rate 82.4% 95.5%
Enrolled % 15.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 24/28
SAT Range 1160/1320 1100/1310
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

Academics

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 71% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $57,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,939 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $278 $277

Diversity

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 52% 60%
% Women 48% 40%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 86% 59%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

JCU Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 66% 46%
% Out-of-State 34% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than JCU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 2,922 students)

JCU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, JCU or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • John Carroll University is 195.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($45,490.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 75.9% higher at JCU than Penn State Harrisburg ($45,490.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than JCU ($22,096 vs. $30,496)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at John Carroll University are 13.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,200 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at John Carroll University than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by John Carroll University students is 242.4% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($30,415 vs. $8,882)

JCU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at John Carroll University (1127) is 84 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming JCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman JCU students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than JCU (82.4%)

JCU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, JCU or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and JCU.

  • The graduation rate at JCU is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (71% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from John Carroll University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($57,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $121 lower median federal student loan debt than JCU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $26,939)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than JCU graduates. ($277 vs. $278)
  • More JCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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