Penn State Harrisburg vs. PAFA

Should I go to Penn State Harrisburg or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Harrisburg or PAFA 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. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
Penn State Harrisburg Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
Penn State Harrisburg Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
Location Middletown, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 4,572 172
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $40,500
Room & Board $14,978 $17,512
Avg Net Price $22,096 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 80%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 183
Admitted 9,483 167
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 91.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 -
Typical High School Grades 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 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
Graduation Rate 63% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $274

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
% Men 60% 31%
% Women 40% 69%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 61%
% Black 11% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 10% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg PAFA
% In-State 46% 53%
% Out-of-State 27% 42%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 172 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

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

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 163.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($40,500.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.6% higher at PAFA than Penn State Harrisburg ($40,500.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than PAFA ($22,096 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 16.9% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($14,978 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts than Penn State Harrisburg (80% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students is 81.1% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($16,087 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than PAFA (91.3%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (73% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $33,300 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($26,500 vs. $26,818)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($274 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PAFA students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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