SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
Location Cortland, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,690 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #399 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cortland.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $25,854
Room & Board $13,620 $14,978
Avg Net Price $18,304 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $9,369 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 63%

Admission

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,711 9,925
Admitted 7,001 9,483
Acceptance Rate 59.8% 95.5%
Enrolled % 19.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/27 24/28
SAT Range 1090/1240 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

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (41%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (16%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 67% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $222 $277

Diversity

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 44% 60%
% Women 56% 40%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 59%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 96% 46%
% Out-of-State 4% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY College at Cortland is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (6,690 students vs. 4,572 students)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Cortland or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY Cortland for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 52.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than SUNY College at Cortland ($25,854.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College at Cortland than Penn State Harrisburg ($18,304 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY College at Cortland are 10% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,620 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College at Cortland than Penn State Harrisburg (73% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College at Cortland students is 5.5% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,369 vs. $8,882)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Cortland 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 SUNY Cortland .

  • Accepted freshman SUNY Cortland students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than SUNY Cortland (59.8%)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Cortland 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 SUNY Cortland.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY Cortland is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $8,000 more per year than SUNY Cortland graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,300)
  • SUNY College at Cortland students graduate with a $5,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Cortland graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More SUNY Cortland 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/