Arcadia vs. Penn State

Should I go to Arcadia University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Arcadia 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.

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Arcadia University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Arcadia University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Arcadia University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

Arcadia Penn State
Location Glenside, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,026 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #502 #167
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arcadia.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Arcadia Penn State
Tuition (In State) $46,430 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $46,430 $35,946
Room & Board $13,720 $12,744
Avg Net Price $29,692 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $30,934 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 44%

Admission

Arcadia Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,321 85,784
Admitted 4,903 47,360
Acceptance Rate 77.6% 55.2%
Enrolled % 10% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/29 26/31
SAT Range 1088/1320 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

Academics

Arcadia Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Arcadia Penn State
Graduation Rate 62% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Arcadia Penn State
% Men 32% 53%
% Women 68% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 68% 69%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Arcadia Penn State
% In-State 62% 51%
% Out-of-State 37% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Arcadia based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 3,026 students)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Arcadia or Penn State?

  • Arcadia University is 152.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($46,430.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.2% higher at Arcadia than Penn State Main Campus ($46,430.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Arcadia ($26,747 vs. $29,692)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 7.7% lower than costs at Arcadia University ($12,744 vs. $13,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Arcadia University than Penn State Main Campus (99% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Arcadia University students is 207.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,934 vs. $10,066)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 98 points higher than at Arcadia (1104)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Arcadia (25)
  • Arcadia has a higher acceptance rate (77.6%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Arcadia 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 Arcadia.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Arcadia University (87% vs. 62%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $8,900 more per year than Arcadia graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,400)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Arcadia graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Arcadia graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Arcadia graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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