Penn State Harrisburg vs. Fairmont State

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
Location Middletown, PA Fairmont, WV
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 4,572 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $15,638
Room & Board $14,978 $10,022
Avg Net Price $22,096 $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 94%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 1,926
Admitted 9,483 1,897
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 98.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 37%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 18/23
SAT Range 1100/1310 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 63% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $227

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
% Men 60% 41%
% Women 40% 59%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 86%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Fairmont State
% In-State 46% 88%
% Out-of-State 27% 11%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Fairmont State based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,498 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Fairmont State ?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 155.5% more expensive to attend than Fairmont State for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $6,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Fairmont State University ($25,854.00 vs. $15,638.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than Penn State Harrisburg ($10,794 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 49.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($10,022 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairmont State University than Penn State Harrisburg (94% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 35.7% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($8,882 vs. $6,547)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 81 points higher than at Fairmont State (962)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Fairmont State (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Fairmont State (3.36)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (98.5%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Fairmont State ? 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 Fairmont State and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Fairmont State University (63% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $17,700 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fairmont State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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