Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Castleton State College

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

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
Location Center Valley, PA Castleton, VT
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 888 2,363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #783
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu castleton.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $11,832
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $28,800
Room & Board $12,984 $12,404
Avg Net Price $18,142 $16,791
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $13,007
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 3,115
Admitted 1,699 2,508
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 80.5%
Enrolled % 15.7% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.17
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 22/26
SAT Range 1100/1290 970/1210
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 Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
Graduation Rate 47% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
% Men 57% 40%
% Women 43% 60%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 83%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 16% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Castleton State College
% In-State 93% 43%
% Out-of-State 6% 51%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Castleton State College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,363 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Castleton State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Castleton State College?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 23.6% more expensive to attend than Castleton State College for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $11,832.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.4% higher at Castleton State College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($28,800.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Castleton State College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($16,791 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Castleton State College are 4.7% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($12,404 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Castleton State College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Castleton State College students is 31.6% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($13,007 vs. $9,886)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Castleton State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 60 points higher than at Castleton State College (959)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Castleton State College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Castleton State College (3.17)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Castleton State College (80.5%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Castleton State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Castleton State 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 Castleton State College and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is the same as at Castleton State College (47% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $17,700 more per year than Castleton State College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,600)
  • Castleton State College students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Castleton State College graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Castleton State College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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