Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State

Deciding between Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State Harrisburg Middletown, PA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Harrisburg Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State Harrisburg 4,478
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Penn State Harrisburg Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State Harrisburg #574
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State Harrisburg -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Penn State Harrisburg Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State Harrisburg
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State Harrisburg $15,972
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State Harrisburg $26,958
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State Harrisburg $14,474
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State Harrisburg $23,788
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State Harrisburg $9,245
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State Harrisburg 63%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State Harrisburg 9,316
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Penn State Harrisburg 9,092
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State Harrisburg 97.6%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State Harrisburg 11.2%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State Harrisburg 1220
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State Harrisburg 26
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State Harrisburg 3.48
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State Harrisburg B+
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Harrisburg Difficult
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Harrisburg
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State Harrisburg 22/31
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State Harrisburg 1120/1310
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Harrisburg Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State Harrisburg
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State Harrisburg 15:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State Harrisburg
    • Business (34%)
    • Engineering (23%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Communication (7%)
    • English and Literature (5%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State Harrisburg 58%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Penn State Harrisburg 42%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Harrisburg High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State Harrisburg No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Penn State Harrisburg 59%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State Harrisburg 9%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Penn State Harrisburg 11%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State Harrisburg 6%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State Harrisburg 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State Harrisburg 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State Harrisburg 3%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State Harrisburg 10%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State Harrisburg 2%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State Harrisburg 54%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State Harrisburg 27%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown, 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 Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 4,478 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Harrisburg is located in Middletown, PA (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 15:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg than Penn State ($23,788 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State ($14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 29.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Harrisburg (about $4,672 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $15,972.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 55% higher at Penn State than at Penn State Harrisburg (about $14,832 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $26,958.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than at Penn State Main Campus (63% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 22.6% larger than aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students ($11,336 vs. $9,245).

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 110 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1220).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 26 at Penn State Harrisburg).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Harrisburg 1120/1310; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Harrisburg 22/31; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State Harrisburg - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 11.2% at Penn State Harrisburg vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg's (63%).
  • Graduates of Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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.