EMU vs. Penn State

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

 EMU Penn State
Location Harrisonburg, VA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,334 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #215 #167
Religious Affiliation Mennonite Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website emu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 EMU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $40,590 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $40,590 $35,946
Room & Board $12,240 $12,744
Avg Net Price $23,783 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $30,460 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 44%

Admission

 EMU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,144 85,784
Admitted 1,138 47,360
Acceptance Rate 99.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 17.8% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/34 26/31
SAT Range 1040/1590 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 EMU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (30%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 EMU Penn State
Graduation Rate 66% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,450 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $242 $277

Diversity

 EMU Penn State
% Men 34% 53%
% Women 66% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 69%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 EMU Penn State
% In-State 68% 51%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than EMU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,334 students)

EMU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, EMU or Penn State?

  • Eastern Mennonite University is 121% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($40,590.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.9% higher at EMU than Penn State Main Campus ($40,590.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Mennonite University than Penn State ($23,783 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Eastern Mennonite University are 4.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,240 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Mennonite University than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Mennonite University students is 202.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,460 vs. $10,066)

EMU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 193 points higher than at EMU (1009)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at EMU (22)
  • EMU has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than Penn State (55.2%)

EMU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, EMU 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 EMU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Eastern Mennonite University (87% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $11,400 more per year than EMU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,900)
  • Eastern Mennonite University students graduate with a $3,368 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,450 vs. $26,818)
  • EMU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More EMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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