Princeton vs. Penn State

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

Princeton Penn State
Location Princeton, NJ University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 8,842 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website princeton.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Princeton Penn State
Tuition (In State) $57,410 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $57,410 $35,946
Room & Board $18,630 $12,744
Avg Net Price $18,698 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $59,792 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 61% 44%

Admission

Princeton Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 38,019 85,784
Admitted 2,167 47,360
Acceptance Rate 5.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 69.2% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.93 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 26/31
SAT Range 1490/1580 1210/1390
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 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

Princeton Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • History (7%)
  • Human Services (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Princeton Penn State
Graduation Rate 96% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $113,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $77 $277

Diversity

Princeton Penn State
% Men 53% 53%
% Women 47% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 45% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Princeton Penn State
% In-State 16% 51%
% Out-of-State 69% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Princeton based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 8,842 students)

Princeton vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Princeton or Penn State?

  • Princeton University is 212.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($57,410.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 59.7% higher at Princeton than Penn State Main Campus ($57,410.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Princeton University than Penn State ($18,698 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 46.2% lower than costs at Princeton University ($12,744 vs. $18,630)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Princeton University than Penn State Main Campus (61% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Princeton University students is 494% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($59,792 vs. $10,066)

Princeton vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Princeton University (1490) is 288 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Princeton students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Princeton (5.7%)

Princeton vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Princeton or Penn State? 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 and Princeton.

  • The graduation rate at Princeton is higher than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Princeton University earn on average $58,600 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($113,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Princeton University students graduate with a $19,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($7,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Princeton graduates are paying $200 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($77 vs. $277)
  • More Princeton graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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