Penn State vs. Ship

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Main Campus
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Ship Shippensburg, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Ship Distant Town
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Ship 5,161
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Ship Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Ship #700
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Ship -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Ship Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Ship

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Ship $13,720
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Ship $15,974
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Ship $13,340
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Ship $23,772
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Ship $6,756
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Ship 90%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Ship 7,224
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Ship 6,249
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Ship 86.5%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Ship 17.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Ship 1100
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Ship
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Ship 3.23
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Ship B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Ship Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Ship
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Ship
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Ship 990/1210
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Ship Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Ship

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Ship 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Ship
    • Business (26%)
    • Education (13%)
    • Psychology (8%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Ship 60%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Ship $47,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Ship 72%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Ship $25,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Ship $258

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Ship 45%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Ship 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Ship Low
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Ship No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Ship 78%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Ship 1%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Ship 10%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Ship 5%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Ship 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Ship 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Ship 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Ship 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Ship 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Ship 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Ship 10%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • Ship Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • Ship No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • Ship Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Ship No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • Ship Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in Shippensburg, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Ship based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 5,161 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is in Shippensburg, PA (Distant Town setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 18:1.

Penn State vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Ship? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania than Penn State ($23,772 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are 7.8% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($13,340 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 50.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Ship (about $6,924 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $13,720.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 161.6% higher at Penn State than at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (about $25,816 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $15,974.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania than at Penn State Main Campus (90% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 67.8% larger than aid received by Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania students ($11,336 vs. $6,756).

Penn State vs. Ship Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Ship? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Ship and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 230 points higher than at Ship (1100).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 990/1210.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Ship - Test optional.
  • Ship has a higher acceptance rate (86.5%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 17.5% at Ship.

Penn State vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and Ship? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania's (60%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $8,100 more per year than Ship graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $47,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania graduates have a $1,818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($25,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Ship graduates have an estimated $19 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($258 vs. $277).
  • More Ship graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.