Penn State vs. Westminster College

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

Penn State Westminster College
Location University Park, PA New Wilmington, PA
Setting Small City Town Fringe
Enrollment 50,028 1,211
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #489
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu westminster.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Westminster College
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $38,000
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $38,000
Room & Board $12,744 $11,900
Avg Net Price $26,747 $22,645
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $30,252
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 100%

Admission

Penn State Westminster College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 2,225
Admitted 47,360 1,675
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 75.3%
Enrolled % 19.5% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.57
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 20/26
SAT Range 1210/1390 1040/1258
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 Westminster College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (10%)

Outcomes

Penn State Westminster College
Graduation Rate 87% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Westminster College
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 77%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 15%

Students

Penn State Westminster College
% In-State 51% 70%
% Out-of-State 40% 29%

Campus

Penn State Westminster 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 Westminster College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,211 students)

Penn State vs. Westminster College Cost Comparison

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

  • Westminster College is 106.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($38,000.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.7% higher at Westminster College than Penn State Main Campus ($38,000.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Westminster College than Penn State ($22,645 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Westminster College are 7.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,900 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Westminster College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Westminster College students is 200.5% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,252 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Westminster College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 174 points higher than at Westminster College (1028)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Westminster College (23)
  • Westminster College has a higher acceptance rate (75.3%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Westminster College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Westminster 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 Westminster College and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Westminster College (87% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $9,600 more per year than Westminster College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,700)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Westminster College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Westminster College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Westminster College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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