SHU vs. Penn State Berks

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

SHU Penn State Berks
Location Fairfield, CT Reading, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 10,721 2,077
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #657
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $25,854
Room & Board $17,520 $14,334
Avg Net Price $45,280 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 66%

Admission

SHU Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 5,605
Admitted 8,750 5,453
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 97.3%
Enrolled % 20.3% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28
SAT Range 1090/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

SHU Penn State Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

SHU Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 68% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

SHU Penn State Berks
% Men 35% 59%
% Women 65% 41%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 71% 68%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 8% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 12% 1%

Students

SHU Penn State Berks
% In-State 23% 64%
% Out-of-State 75% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 2,077 students)

SHU vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Penn State Berks?

  • Sacred Heart University is 200.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79.1% higher at SHU than Penn State Berks ($46,310.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than SHU ($21,728 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 22.2% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($14,334 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sacred Heart University than Penn State Berks (99% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 128.5% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($19,484 vs. $8,528)

SHU vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Penn State Berks (68% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn on average $4,400 more per year than Penn State Berks graduates after ten years. ($59,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Sacred Heart University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SHU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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