Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
Location Center Valley, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 888 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $25,854
Room & Board $12,984 $14,978
Avg Net Price $18,142 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 63%

Admission

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 9,925
Admitted 1,699 9,483
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 95.5%
Enrolled % 15.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1290 1100/1310
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 Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
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 Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 57% 60%
% Women 43% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 59%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 93% 46%
% Out-of-State 6% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 5.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($25,854.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Penn State Harrisburg ($18,142 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 15.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,984 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Penn State Harrisburg (78% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 11.3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,886 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 24 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94.1%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Penn State Harrisburg? 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 Harrisburg and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Harrisburg have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/