Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State

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

Elizabethtown College Penn State
Location Elizabethtown, PA University Park, PA
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,021 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #280 #167
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website etown.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Elizabethtown College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $35,020 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $35,020 $35,946
Room & Board $12,642 $12,744
Avg Net Price $26,723 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $21,405 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

Elizabethtown College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,977 85,784
Admitted 2,415 47,360
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 55.2%
Enrolled % 19.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 26/31
SAT Range 1070/1280 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

Academics

Elizabethtown College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Elizabethtown College Penn State
Graduation Rate 79% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Elizabethtown College Penn State
% Men 39% 53%
% Women 61% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 86% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

Elizabethtown College Penn State
% In-State 72% 51%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

Elizabethtown College 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 Elizabethtown College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,021 students)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Elizabethtown College or Penn State?

  • Elizabethtown College is 90.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($35,020.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at Penn State than Elizabethtown College ($35,946.00 vs. $35,020.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Elizabethtown College than Penn State ($26,723 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Elizabethtown College are 0.8% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,642 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Elizabethtown College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Elizabethtown College students is 112.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($21,405 vs. $10,066)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 77 points higher than at Elizabethtown College (1125)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Elizabethtown College (26)
  • Elizabethtown College has a higher acceptance rate (81.1%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Elizabethtown College 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 Elizabethtown College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Elizabethtown College (87% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $3,500 more per year than Elizabethtown College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,800)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Elizabethtown College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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