Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State

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

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
Location Middletown, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 4,572 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $35,946
Room & Board $14,978 $12,744
Avg Net Price $22,096 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 44%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 85,784
Admitted 9,483 47,360
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 55.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28 26/31
SAT Range 1100/1310 1210/1390
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 Harrisburg Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
Graduation Rate 63% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $277 $277

Diversity

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
% Men 60% 53%
% Women 40% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg Penn State
% In-State 46% 51%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 19.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39% higher at Penn State than Penn State Harrisburg ($35,946.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Penn State ($22,096 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 17.5% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,744 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than Penn State Main Campus (63% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 13.3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($10,066 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 159 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (87% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Harrisburg graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Harrisburg graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Harrisburg graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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