BC vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

BC Penn State Harrisburg
Location Chestnut Hill, MA Middletown, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,287 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #45 #613
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $62,950 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $62,950 $25,854
Room & Board $16,120 $14,978
Avg Net Price $30,559 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $49,992 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 63%

Admission

BC Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,494 9,925
Admitted 6,748 9,483
Acceptance Rate 16.7% 95.5%
Enrolled % 34.6% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 33/35 24/28
SAT Range 1435/1540 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 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

BC Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

BC Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 91% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $90,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $196 $277

Diversity

BC Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 45% 60%
% Women 55% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 59%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 10%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

BC Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 21% 46%
% Out-of-State 71% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Boston College is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (15,287 students vs. 4,572 students)

BC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Boston College is 309.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($62,950.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 143.5% higher at BC than Penn State Harrisburg ($62,950.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than BC ($22,096 vs. $30,559)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 7.6% lower than costs at Boston College ($14,978 vs. $16,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than Boston College (63% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston College students is 462.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($49,992 vs. $8,882)

BC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC 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 BC .

  • The average SAT score at Boston College (1380) is 337 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming BC students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than BC (16.7%)

BC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC 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 BC.

  • The graduation rate at BC is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (91% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Boston College earn on average $35,600 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($90,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Boston College students graduate with a $7,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,818)
  • BC graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($196 vs. $277)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 69%)

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