Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State

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

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Location Bryn Mawr, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,742 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynmawr.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Tuition (In State) $58,000 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $58,000 $35,946
Room & Board $18,050 $12,744
Avg Net Price $39,072 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $36,618 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 44%

Admission

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,594 85,784
Admitted 1,105 47,360
Acceptance Rate 30.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 35.8% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 29/33 26/31
SAT Range 1280/1495 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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • Foreign Languages (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Graduation Rate 87% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Bryn Mawr Penn State
% Men 4% 53%
% Women 96% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 36% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 23% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 2%

Students

Bryn Mawr Penn State
% In-State 9% 51%
% Out-of-State 73% 40%

Campus

Bryn Mawr Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Bryn Mawr based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,742 students)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bryn Mawr or Penn State?

  • Bryn Mawr College is 215.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($58,000.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.4% higher at Bryn Mawr than Penn State Main Campus ($58,000.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Bryn Mawr ($26,747 vs. $39,072)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 41.6% lower than costs at Bryn Mawr College ($12,744 vs. $18,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bryn Mawr College than Penn State Main Campus (73% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bryn Mawr College students is 263.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($36,618 vs. $10,066)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bryn Mawr College (1346) is 144 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Bryn Mawr students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Bryn Mawr (30.7%)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Mawr 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 Bryn Mawr.

  • The graduation rate at Bryn Mawr is the same as at Penn State Main Campus (87% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Bryn Mawr College earn on average $6,200 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Bryn Mawr College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bryn Mawr graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bryn Mawr graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 69%)

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