Penn State vs. Texas A&M

Deciding between Penn State Main Campus and Texas A&M University College Station? 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
Texas A&M University College Station

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Texas A&M College Station, TX
  • Setting
  • Penn State Small City
  • Texas A&M Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Texas A&M 78,321
  • Type
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • Texas A&M Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State #185
  • Texas A&M #120
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State -
  • Texas A&M -
  • Status
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Texas A&M Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State
  • Texas A&M

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Texas A&M $13,154
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Texas A&M $40,124
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Texas A&M $13,008
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Texas A&M $21,437
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State $11,336
  • Texas A&M $12,580
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State 37%
  • Texas A&M 56%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Texas A&M 54,669
  • Admitted
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Texas A&M 31,397
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Texas A&M 57.4%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Texas A&M 39.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State 1330
  • Texas A&M 1280
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State 29
  • Texas A&M 28
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State -
  • Texas A&M 3.68
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State -
  • Texas A&M A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Very High
  • Texas A&M Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Low
  • Texas A&M Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State 27/32
  • Texas A&M 25/31
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Texas A&M 1150/1400
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Texas A&M Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State
  • Texas A&M Dec 1, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Texas A&M 20:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Texas A&M
    • Business (18%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Agriculture (10%)
    • General Studies (9%)
    • Biology (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State 87%
  • Texas A&M 81%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Texas A&M $65,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State 69%
  • Texas A&M 81%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Texas A&M $18,750
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State $277
  • Texas A&M $193

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State 52%
  • Texas A&M 53%
  • % Women
  • Penn State 48%
  • Texas A&M 47%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Medium
  • Texas A&M Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State No
  • Texas A&M No
  • % White
  • Penn State 69%
  • Texas A&M 65%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State 6%
  • Texas A&M 6%
  • % Black
  • Penn State 4%
  • Texas A&M 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State 6%
  • Texas A&M 22%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State 0%
  • Texas A&M 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State 0%
  • Texas A&M 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State 3%
  • Texas A&M 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State 11%
  • Texas A&M 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State 2%
  • Texas A&M 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State 53%
  • Texas A&M 94%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State 40%
  • Texas A&M 5%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Penn State Yes
  • Texas A&M Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Penn State Yes
  • Texas A&M No
  • Meal Plan
  • Penn State Yes
  • Texas A&M Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Texas A&M No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Penn State Yes
  • Texas A&M Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA with Texas A&M University College Station in College Station, TX on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Texas A&M University College Station is larger than Penn State based on total student enrollment (78,321 students vs. 50,737 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Main Campus is located in University Park, PA (Small City setting); Texas A&M University College Station is in College Station, TX (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Texas A&M University College Station is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Main Campus 16:1; Texas A&M University College Station 20:1.

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Texas A&M? 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 Texas A&M University College Station than Penn State ($21,437 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Texas A&M University College Station are 10.1% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($13,008 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 56.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Texas A&M (about $7,490 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $13,154.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 4.2% higher at Penn State than at Texas A&M University College Station (about $1,666 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $40,124.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Texas A&M University College Station than at Penn State Main Campus (56% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Texas A&M University College Station students is 11% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($12,580 vs. $11,336).

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Texas A&M? 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 Texas A&M and Penn State.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 50 points higher than at Texas A&M (1280).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 28 at Texas A&M).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420; Texas A&M University College Station 1150/1400.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Main Campus 27/32; Texas A&M University College Station 25/31.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State - Test optional; Texas A&M - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Texas A&M Dec 1, 2026.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Texas A&M (57.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.1% at Penn State vs. 39.9% at Texas A&M.

Penn State vs. Texas A&M Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State and Texas A&M? 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 Texas A&M University College Station's (81%).
  • Graduates from Texas A&M University College Station earn a median of about $10,300 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($65,600 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Texas A&M University College Station graduates have a $8,068 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($18,750 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Texas A&M graduates have an estimated $84 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($193 vs. $277).
  • More Texas A&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (81% 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.