Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Comparable Facts

Compare Hobart William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY with Penn State Erie Behrend College in Erie, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

Penn State Erie Behrend College is larger than Hobart William Smith Colleges based on total student enrollment (3,336 students vs. 1,841 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Hobart William Smith Colleges is located in Geneva, NY (Distant Town setting); Penn State Erie Behrend College is in Erie, PA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Erie Behrend College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Hobart William Smith Colleges 11:1; Penn State Erie Behrend College 12:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Erie Behrend College are 18.5% lower than at Hobart William Smith Colleges ($14,474 vs. $17,768).
• Out-of-state tuition is 141.5% higher at Hobart William Smith Colleges than at Penn State Erie Behrend College (about $38,159 more per year; $65,117 vs. $26,958).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Hobart William Smith Colleges than at Penn State Erie Behrend College (100% vs. 76%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Hobart William Smith Colleges students is 350.1% larger than aid received by Penn State Erie Behrend College students ($48,432 vs. $10,760).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 2 points higher at Hobart William Smith Colleges than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (30 vs. 28, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test optional at both Hobart William Smith Colleges and Penn State Erie-Behrend College.
• Typical fall application deadline: Hobart William Smith Colleges Feb 1, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at Hobart William Smith Colleges average a 3.55 high school GPA, 0.06 higher than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 14.6% at Hobart William Smith Colleges vs. 14.5% at Penn State Erie-Behrend College.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Erie Behrend College graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates ($277 vs. $279).
• More Hobart William Smith Colleges graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Erie-Behrend College students, three years after graduation (84% vs. 69%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.