DSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Dickinson, ND Center Valley, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,473 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #736
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dickinsonstate.com psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $7,470 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $9,570 $24,318
Room & Board $7,740 $12,984
Avg Net Price $14,971 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $5,391 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 78%

Admission

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 729 1,806
Admitted 525 1,699
Acceptance Rate 72% 94.1%
Enrolled % 46.1% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.11 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/21 22/26
SAT Range 875/1130 1100/1290
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

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (42%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 26% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,781 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $194 $277

Diversity

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 45% 57%
% Women 55% 43%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 64%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 16%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 DSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 51% 93%
% Out-of-State 46% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Dickinson State University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,473 students vs. 888 students)

DSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, DSU or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 95.8% more expensive to attend than DSU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $7,470.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 154.1% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Dickinson State University ($24,318.00 vs. $9,570.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dickinson State University than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($14,971 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dickinson State University are 67.8% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($7,740 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dickinson State University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (92% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 83.4% larger than aid received Dickinson State University ($9,886 vs. $5,391)

DSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 68 points higher than at DSU (951)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at DSU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at DSU (3.11)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than DSU (72%)

DSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, DSU or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Lehigh Valley and DSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is higher than Dickinson State University (47% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $8,500 more per year than DSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,800)
  • Dickinson State University students graduate with a $8,037 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($18,781 vs. $26,818)
  • DSU graduates are paying $83 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($194 vs. $277)
  • More DSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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