BSU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Muncie, IN McKeesport, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,777 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #547
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $8,434 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $25,918 $23,086
Room & Board $10,904 $12,254
Avg Net Price $12,615 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $11,418 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 85%

Admission

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,859 672
Admitted 15,761 589
Acceptance Rate 68.9% 87.6%
Enrolled % 22.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28
SAT Range 1090/1260 1040/1300
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

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 55% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 35% 61%
% Women 65% 39%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 81% 61%
% Black 8% 19%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 90% 68%
% Out-of-State 9% 30%

Campus

 BSU Penn State Greater Allegheny
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

  • Ball State University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (19,777 students vs. 363 students)

BSU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 63.9% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $8,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.3% higher at BSU than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($25,918.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($12,615 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ball State University are 12.4% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($10,904 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (97% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 11.2% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,418 vs. $10,269)

BSU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ball State University (1070) is 127 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at BSU (22)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than BSU (68.9%)

BSU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at BSU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (55% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $12,800 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,500)
  • Ball State University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • BSU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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