Penn State vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location University Park, PA McKeesport, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 50,028 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $23,086
Room & Board $12,744 $12,254
Avg Net Price $26,747 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 85%

Admission

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 672
Admitted 47,360 589
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 87.6%
Enrolled % 19.5% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 1210/1390 1040/1300
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

Academics

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $277 $277

Diversity

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 53% 61%
% Women 47% 39%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 61%
% Black 4% 19%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 51% 68%
% Out-of-State 40% 30%

Campus

Penn State Penn State Greater Allegheny
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 Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 32.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55.7% higher at Penn State than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($35,946.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Penn State ($19,505 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Greater Allegheny are 4% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,254 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Penn State Main Campus (85% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 2% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,269 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 259 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Greater Allegheny have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny and Penn State graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny and Penn State graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny and Penn State graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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