Penn State Brandywine vs. Penn State

Deciding between Penn State Brandywine and Penn State Main Campus? 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 Brandywine
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State Brandywine Media, PA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Brandywine Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State Brandywine 1,236
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Penn State Brandywine Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State Brandywine #821
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Penn State Brandywine Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State Brandywine $15,208
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State Brandywine $25,392
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State Brandywine $14,474
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State Brandywine $22,710
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State Brandywine $9,113
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State Brandywine 73%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,431
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,385
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State Brandywine 98.1%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State Brandywine 16.8%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State Brandywine 1200
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Brandywine Challenging
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Brandywine Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State Brandywine 15:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State Brandywine
    • Business (28%)
    • Work and Family Studies (28%)
    • Communication (23%)
    • Ethnic Studies (6%)
    • Education (5%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State Brandywine $55,300
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State Brandywine 69%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State Brandywine $26,818
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State Brandywine $277
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Brandywine Medium
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State Brandywine 11%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Penn State Brandywine 15%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State Brandywine 5%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State Brandywine 1%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State Brandywine 80%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State Brandywine 19%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 1,236 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Brandywine is located in Media, PA (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Brandywine is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Brandywine 15:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Penn State Brandywine vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Brandywine or Penn State? 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 Brandywine than Penn State ($22,710 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Penn State Brandywine and Penn State ($14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 35.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Brandywine (about $5,436 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $15,208.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 64.6% higher at Penn State than at Penn State Brandywine (about $16,398 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $25,392.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Brandywine than at Penn State Main Campus (73% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 24.4% larger than aid received by Penn State Brandywine students ($11,336 vs. $9,113).

Penn State Brandywine vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Brandywine or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Penn State Brandywine.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 130 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (1200).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsPenn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State Brandywine - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 16.8% at Penn State Brandywine vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Penn State Brandywine vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State Brandywine and Penn State? 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 Penn State Brandywine's (37%).
  • Graduates of Penn State Brandywine and Penn State have equivalent median earnings about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $55,300), per the federal College Scorecard cohort (typically among students working and not enrolled).
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Brandywine graduates have the same median loan debt ($26,818 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Brandywine graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($277 vs. $277).
  • Federal student loan repayment rates three years after graduation are the same for Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Brandywine graduates (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.