Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Brandywine

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

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
Location Erie, PA Media, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,801 1,196
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #729
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $24,318
Room & Board $14,025 $13,930
Avg Net Price $24,935 $21,600
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $9,638
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 70%

Admission

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 2,440
Admitted 2,920 2,347
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 96.2%
Enrolled % 18.7% 17%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/31
SAT Range 1070/1285
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

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
Graduation Rate 68% 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $276 $277

Diversity

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
% Men 40% 61%
% Women 60% 39%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 63%
% Black 6% 15%
% Hispanic 2% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

Mercyhurst College Penn State Brandywine
% In-State 51% 74%
% Out-of-State 45% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 1,196 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Brandywine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Brandywine?

  • Mercyhurst College is 177.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Brandywine for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.7% higher at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Brandywine ($40,530.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Brandywine than Mercyhurst College ($21,600 vs. $24,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 0.7% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($13,930 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Brandywine (95% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 236.4% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($32,418 vs. $9,638)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Brandywine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (96.2%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Brandywine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Brandywine? 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 Brandywine and Mercyhurst College.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than Penn State Brandywine (68% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Brandywine earn on average $11,600 more per year than Mercyhurst College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,700)
  • Mercyhurst College students graduate with a $120 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Brandywine graduates. ($26,698 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercyhurst College graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Brandywine graduates. ($276 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Brandywine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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