PSC vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
Location Winter Haven, FL Middletown, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,180 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website polk.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $2,483 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $9,933 $25,854
Room & Board $8,339 $14,978
Avg Net Price $9,588 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $3,168 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 63%

Admission

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 9,925
Admitted - 9,483
Acceptance Rate Open 95.5%
Enrolled % Open 12.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.48
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (52%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (3%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate - 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $9,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $98 $277

Diversity

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 34% 60%
% Women 66% 40%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 59%
% Black 17% 11%
% Hispanic 20% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

PSC Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 99% 46%
% Out-of-State 0% 27%

Campus

PSC 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

  • Polk State College is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (8,180 students vs. 4,572 students)

PSC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 519.7% more expensive to attend than PSC for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $2,483.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 160.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Polk State College ($25,854.00 vs. $9,933.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Polk State College than Penn State Harrisburg ($9,588 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Polk State College are 79.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($8,339 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Polk State College than Penn State Harrisburg (71% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 180.4% larger than aid received Polk State College ($8,882 vs. $3,168)

Which college is harder to get into, PSC 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 PSC .

PSC vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PSC 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 PSC.

  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $21,300 more per year than PSC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $34,000)
  • Polk State College students graduate with a $17,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($9,500 vs. $26,818)
  • PSC graduates are paying $179 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($98 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PSC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 40%)

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