Penn State vs. Bennington

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

 Penn State Bennington
Location University Park, PA Bennington, VT
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 50,028 880
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Bennington
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $60,648
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $60,648
Room & Board $12,744 $17,720
Avg Net Price $26,747 $32,497
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $49,183
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 2,801
Admitted 47,360 1,269
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 45.3%
Enrolled % 19.5% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.51
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31 29/33
SAT Range 1210/1390 1260/1370
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

 Penn State Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Bennington
Graduation Rate 87% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $31,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $268

Diversity

 Penn State Bennington
% Men 53% 31%
% Women 47% 69%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 65%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 11% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 Penn State Bennington
% In-State 51% 2%
% Out-of-State 40% 87%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Bennington based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 880 students)

Penn State vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Bennington?

  • Bennington College is 230.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($60,648.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.7% higher at Bennington than Penn State Main Campus ($60,648.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Bennington ($26,747 vs. $32,497)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 39% lower than costs at Bennington College ($12,744 vs. $17,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than Penn State Main Campus (98% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 388.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($49,183 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Bennington (45.3%)

Penn State vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Bennington? 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 Bennington and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Bennington College (87% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $23,600 more per year than Bennington graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $31,700)
  • Bennington College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bennington graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bennington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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