Penn State Harrisburg vs. Roanoke College

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
Location Middletown, PA Salem, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 1,826
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #419
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu roanoke.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $33,510
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $33,510
Room & Board $14,978 $15,366
Avg Net Price $22,096 $29,169
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $36,176
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 5,055
Admitted 9,483 4,032
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 79.8%
Enrolled % 12.6% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 22/28
SAT Range 1100/1310 1070/1260
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 Roanoke College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
Graduation Rate 63% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $51,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
% Men 60% 46%
% Women 40% 54%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 82%
% Black 11% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
% In-State 46% 58%
% Out-of-State 27% 40%

Campus

 Penn State Harrisburg Roanoke College
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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Roanoke College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,826 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Roanoke College Cost Comparison

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

  • Roanoke College is 117.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($33,510.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.6% higher at Roanoke College than Penn State Harrisburg ($33,510.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Roanoke College ($22,096 vs. $29,169)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 2.6% lower than costs at Roanoke College ($14,978 vs. $15,366)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Roanoke College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Roanoke College students is 307.3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($36,176 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Roanoke College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Roanoke College (1092) is 49 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Roanoke College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Roanoke College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Roanoke College (79.8%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Roanoke College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg or Roanoke College? 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 Roanoke College and Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Roanoke College is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $4,100 more per year than Roanoke College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,200)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Roanoke College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Roanoke College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Roanoke College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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