Dartmouth vs. Penn State

Deciding between Dartmouth College and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Dartmouth College
Penn State Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Dartmouth Hanover, NH
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Dartmouth Remote Town
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Dartmouth 6,938
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Dartmouth Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Dartmouth #12
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Dartmouth -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Dartmouth Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Dartmouth
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Dartmouth $68,268
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Dartmouth $68,268
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Dartmouth $19,999
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Dartmouth $20,322
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Dartmouth $67,471
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Dartmouth 47%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Dartmouth 31,656
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Dartmouth 1,710
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Dartmouth 5.4%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Dartmouth 69.1%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Dartmouth 1540
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Dartmouth 34
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Dartmouth 3.9
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Dartmouth A
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Dartmouth Elite
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Dartmouth Extreme
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Dartmouth 33/35
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Dartmouth 1500/1570
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Dartmouth Required
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Dartmouth Jan 3, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Dartmouth 7:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Dartmouth
    • Social Sciences (33%)
    • Biology (9%)
    • History (7%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Ethnic Studies (7%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Dartmouth 95%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Dartmouth $104,000
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Dartmouth 87%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Dartmouth $13,461
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Dartmouth $139
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Dartmouth 51%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Dartmouth 49%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Dartmouth High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Dartmouth No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Dartmouth 49%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Dartmouth 15%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Dartmouth 7%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Dartmouth 8%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Dartmouth 2%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Dartmouth 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Dartmouth 5%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Dartmouth 8%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Dartmouth 5%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Dartmouth 2%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Dartmouth 81%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Dartmouth Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Dartmouth Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Dartmouth Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Dartmouth No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Dartmouth No
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Dartmouth based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 6,938 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, NH (Remote Town setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Dartmouth College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Dartmouth College 7:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dartmouth or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dartmouth College than Penn State ($20,322 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 27.6% lower than at Dartmouth College ($14,474 vs. $19,999).
  • Dartmouth College is 230.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $47,624 more per year; $68,268.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 63.4% higher at Dartmouth than at Penn State Main Campus (about $26,478 more per year; $68,268.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Dartmouth College than at Penn State Main Campus (47% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dartmouth College students is 495.2% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($67,471 vs. $11,336).

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Dartmouth or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Dartmouth.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Dartmouth College (1540) is 210 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming Dartmouth students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (34 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Dartmouth College 1500/1570; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Dartmouth College 33/35; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Dartmouth - Required; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Dartmouth Jan 3, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Dartmouth (5.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 69.1% at Dartmouth vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Dartmouth vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Dartmouth and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Dartmouth College's six-year graduation rate (95%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from Dartmouth College earn a median of about $48,700 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($104,000 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Dartmouth College graduates have a $13,357 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($13,461 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Dartmouth graduates have an estimated $138 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($139 vs. $277).
  • More Dartmouth graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.