Penn State Harrisburg vs. Pitt

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

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
Location Middletown, PA Pittsburgh, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 4,572 33,767
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #128
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu pitt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $19,760
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $36,000
Room & Board $14,978 $12,360
Avg Net Price $22,096 $24,286
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $10,919
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 85%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 53,072
Admitted 9,483 26,079
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 49.1%
Enrolled % 12.6% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.79
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28 29/33
SAT Range 1100/1310 1280/1470
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

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
Graduation Rate 63% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,909
Median Loan Payment $277 $278

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
% Men 60% 42%
% Women 40% 58%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 74%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Pitt
% In-State 46% 54%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (33,767 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Pitt Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is 28.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($19,760.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.2% higher at Pitt than Penn State Harrisburg ($36,000.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Pitt ($22,096 vs. $24,286)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus are 21.2% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,360 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus than Penn State Harrisburg (85% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus students is 22.9% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($10,919 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Pitt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus (1272) is 229 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Pitt students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Pitt students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Pitt (49.1%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Pitt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Pitt is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (79% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn on average $2,700 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $91 lower median federal student loan debt than Pitt graduates. ($26,818 vs. $26,909)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Pitt graduates. ($277 vs. $278)
  • More Pitt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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