F&M vs. Penn State

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

F&M Penn State
Location Lancaster, PA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,990 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #56 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fandm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

F&M Penn State
Tuition (In State) $65,652 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $65,652 $35,946
Room & Board $15,040 $12,744
Avg Net Price $31,135 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $49,177 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 44%

Admission

F&M Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,923 85,784
Admitted 3,233 47,360
Acceptance Rate 36.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 15.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 30/33 26/31
SAT Range 1310/1440 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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

F&M Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

F&M Penn State
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $227 $277

Diversity

F&M Penn State
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

F&M Penn State
% In-State 25% 51%
% Out-of-State 53% 40%

Campus

F&M Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No 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 F&M based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,990 students)

F&M vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, F&M or Penn State?

  • Franklin and Marshall College is 257.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($65,652.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 82.6% higher at F&M than Penn State Main Campus ($65,652.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than F&M ($26,747 vs. $31,135)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 18% lower than costs at Franklin and Marshall College ($12,744 vs. $15,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Franklin and Marshall College than Penn State Main Campus (63% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Franklin and Marshall College students is 388.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($49,177 vs. $10,066)

F&M vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than F&M (36.2%)

F&M vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, F&M 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 F&M.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Franklin and Marshall College (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Franklin and Marshall College earn on average $6,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Franklin and Marshall College students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • F&M graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More F&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 69%)

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