Arcadia vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
Location Glenside, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,026 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #502 #613
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arcadia.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $46,430 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $46,430 $25,854
Room & Board $13,720 $14,978
Avg Net Price $29,692 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $30,934 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 63%

Admission

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,321 9,925
Admitted 4,903 9,483
Acceptance Rate 77.6% 95.5%
Enrolled % 10% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/29 24/28
SAT Range 1088/1320 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

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 62% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 32% 60%
% Women 68% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 68% 59%
% Black 9% 11%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 3% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Arcadia Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 62% 46%
% Out-of-State 37% 27%

Campus

Arcadia 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 Arcadia based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,026 students)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Arcadia University is 201.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($46,430.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79.6% higher at Arcadia than Penn State Harrisburg ($46,430.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Arcadia ($22,096 vs. $29,692)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Arcadia University are 9.2% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($13,720 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Arcadia University than Penn State Harrisburg (99% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Arcadia University students is 248.3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($30,934 vs. $8,882)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Arcadia 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 Arcadia .

  • The average SAT score at Arcadia University (1104) is 61 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Arcadia students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Arcadia (3.42)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Arcadia (77.6%)

Arcadia vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Arcadia 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 Arcadia.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Arcadia University (63% vs. 62%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $8,900 more per year than Arcadia graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,400)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Arcadia graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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/