Penn State vs. Thiel College

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

Penn State Thiel College
Location University Park, PA Greenville, PA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 50,028 907
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu thiel.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Thiel College
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $33,620
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $33,620
Room & Board $12,744 $14,230
Avg Net Price $26,747 $22,732
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $27,563
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 100%

Admission

Penn State Thiel College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 1,878
Admitted 47,360 1,546
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 82.3%
Enrolled % 19.5% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.1
Typical High School Grades - B
Admissions Standards Very High Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 17/24
SAT Range 1210/1390 965/1165
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 Thiel College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Thiel College
Graduation Rate 87% 39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $39,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,876
Median Loan Payment $277 $288

Diversity

Penn State Thiel College
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 79%
% Black 4% 10%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

Penn State Thiel College
% In-State 51% 66%
% Out-of-State 40% 33%

Campus

Penn State Thiel College
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 Thiel College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 907 students)

Penn State vs. Thiel College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Thiel College?

  • Thiel College is 83% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($33,620.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.9% higher at Penn State than Thiel College ($35,946.00 vs. $33,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Thiel College than Penn State ($22,732 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 11.7% lower than costs at Thiel College ($12,744 vs. $14,230)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Thiel College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Thiel College students is 173.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($27,563 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Thiel College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 279 points higher than at Thiel College (923)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Thiel College (19)
  • Thiel College has a higher acceptance rate (82.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Thiel College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Thiel College? 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 Thiel College and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Thiel College (87% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $15,500 more per year than Thiel College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,800)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $1,058 lower median federal student loan debt than Thiel College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,876)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Thiel College graduates. ($277 vs. $288)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Thiel College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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