Penn State Harrisburg vs. CSU Channel Islands

Should I go to Penn State Harrisburg or California State University Channel Islands? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Harrisburg or CSU Channel Islands 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 Harrisburg vs. California State University Channel Islands comparison
Penn State Harrisburg California State University Channel Islands College 3 College 4
Penn State Harrisburg California State University Channel Islands
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Overview

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Location Middletown, PA Camarillo, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,572 6,128
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu csuci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $17,622
Room & Board $14,978 $16,300
Avg Net Price $22,096 $13,540
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $9,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 72%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 10,420
Admitted 9,483 9,342
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 89.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 6.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.22
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Challenging Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 30, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Graduation Rate 63% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $15,183
Median Loan Payment $277 $156

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
% Men 60% 34%
% Women 40% 66%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 32%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 49%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
% In-State 46% 99%
% Out-of-State 27% 1%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg CSU Channel Islands
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Channel Islands is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (6,128 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CSU Channel Islands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or CSU Channel Islands?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 168% more expensive to attend than CSU Channel Islands for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.7% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than California State University Channel Islands ($25,854.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Channel Islands than Penn State Harrisburg ($13,540 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 8.8% lower than costs at California State University Channel Islands ($14,978 vs. $16,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Channel Islands than Penn State Harrisburg (72% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Channel Islands students is 6% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,412 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CSU Channel Islands Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at CSU Channel Islands (3.22)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than CSU Channel Islands (89.7%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. CSU Channel Islands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or CSU Channel Islands? 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 CSU Channel Islands and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than California State University Channel Islands (63% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $9,200 more per year than CSU Channel Islands graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,100)
  • California State University Channel Islands students graduate with a $11,635 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($15,183 vs. $26,818)
  • CSU Channel Islands graduates are paying $121 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($156 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSU Channel Islands students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 66%)

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