Penn State vs. Temple

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Temple University? 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
Temple University

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Temple Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Temple Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Temple 29,640
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Temple Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Temple
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Temple -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Temple Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Temple

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Temple $23,011
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Temple $38,958
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Temple $17,690
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Temple $28,088
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Temple $14,837
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Temple 89%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Temple 39,754
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Temple 31,966
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Temple 80.4%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Temple 15.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Temple
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Temple
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Temple 3.46
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Temple B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Temple Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Temple
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Temple
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Temple
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Temple Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Temple Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Temple 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Temple
    • Business (23%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Education (8%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Temple 68%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Temple $56,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Temple 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Temple $26,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Temple $268

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Temple 43%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Temple 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Temple High
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Temple No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Temple 56%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Temple 11%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Temple 13%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Temple 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Temple 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Temple 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Temple 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Temple 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Temple 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Temple 60%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Temple 37%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Temple based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 29,640 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Temple University is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Temple University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Temple University 12:1.

Penn State vs. Temple Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Temple? 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 Penn State Main Campus than Temple ($27,889 vs. $28,088).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 18.2% lower than at Temple University ($14,474 vs. $17,690).
  • Temple University is 11.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $2,367 more per year; $23,011.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 7.3% higher at Penn State than at Temple University (about $2,832 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $38,958.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Temple University than at Penn State Main Campus (89% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Temple University students is 30.9% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($14,837 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. Temple Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Temple? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Temple and Penn State.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Temple - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Temple Feb 1, 2027.
  • Temple has a higher acceptance rate (80.4%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 15.2% at Temple.

Penn State vs. Temple Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and Temple? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Temple University's (68%).
  • Graduates from Temple University earn a median of about $1,000 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($56,300 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Temple University graduates have a $818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($26,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Temple graduates have an estimated $9 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($268 vs. $277).
  • More Temple graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (69% 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.