FDU vs. Penn State Harrisburg

Should I go to Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham or Penn State Harrisburg? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if FDU or Penn State Harrisburg 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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Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham vs. Penn State Harrisburg comparison
Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham Penn State Harrisburg College 3 College 4
Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham Penn State Harrisburg
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Overview

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
Location Madison, NJ Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,823 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #342 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fdu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $33,264 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $33,264 $25,854
Room & Board $15,588 $14,978
Avg Net Price $21,408 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $28,436 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 63%

Admission

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,421 9,925
Admitted 3,940 9,483
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 95.5%
Enrolled % 11.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/30 24/28
SAT Range 1040/1310 1100/1310
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

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 55% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 41% 60%
% Women 59% 40%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 59%
% Black 11% 11%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 10%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

FDU Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 81% 46%
% Out-of-State 18% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than FDU based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 2,823 students)

FDU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, FDU or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is 116.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($33,264.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.7% higher at FDU than Penn State Harrisburg ($33,264.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Penn State Harrisburg ($21,408 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 4.1% lower than costs at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham ($14,978 vs. $15,588)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students is 220.2% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($28,436 vs. $8,882)

FDU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 9 points higher than at FDU (1034)
  • Incoming FDU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at FDU (3.42)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than FDU (89.1%)

FDU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FDU or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and FDU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (63% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $2,400 more per year than FDU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,900)
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • FDU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FDU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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