Penn State vs. Liberty University

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

Penn State Liberty University
Location University Park, PA Lynchburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,028 96,709
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #852
Religious Affiliation - Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu liberty.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Liberty University
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $21,374
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $21,374
Room & Board $12,744 $12,350
Avg Net Price $26,747 $29,913
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $12,471
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 98%

Admission

Penn State Liberty University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 30,943
Admitted 47,360 30,723
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 99.3%Open
Enrolled % 19.5% 19.9%Open
Avg High School GPA - 3.56
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 21/29
SAT Range 1210/1390 1040/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

Penn State Liberty University
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (17%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • General Studies (14%)
  • Health Professions (6%)

Outcomes

Penn State Liberty University
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $39,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,166
Median Loan Payment $277 $249

Diversity

Penn State Liberty University
% Men 53% 41%
% Women 47% 59%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 46%
% Black 4% 13%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 31%

Students

Penn State Liberty University
% In-State 51% 22%
% Out-of-State 40% 76%

Campus

Penn State Liberty University
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

  • Liberty University is larger than than Penn State based on total student enrollment (96,709 students vs. 50,028 students)

Penn State vs. Liberty University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Liberty University?

  • Liberty University is 16.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($21,374.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.2% higher at Penn State than Liberty University ($35,946.00 vs. $21,374.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Liberty University ($26,747 vs. $29,913)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Liberty University are 3.2% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,350 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Liberty University than Penn State Main Campus (98% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Liberty University students is 23.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($12,471 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Liberty University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 132 points higher than at Liberty University (1070)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Liberty University (24)
  • Liberty University has a higher acceptance rate (99.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Liberty University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Liberty University? 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 Liberty University and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Liberty University (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $16,200 more per year than Liberty University graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,100)
  • Liberty University students graduate with a $2,652 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($24,166 vs. $26,818)
  • Liberty University graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($249 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Liberty University students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 36%)

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