USJ vs. Penn State

Should I go to University of Saint Joseph or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USJ 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse Drexel
University of Saint Joseph vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
University of Saint Joseph Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of Saint Joseph Penn State Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

USJ Penn State
Location West Hartford, CT University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,992 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #290 #167
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usj.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USJ Penn State
Tuition (In State) $42,050 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $42,050 $35,946
Room & Board $13,240 $12,744
Avg Net Price $25,860 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $28,311 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

USJ Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,654 85,784
Admitted 1,238 47,360
Acceptance Rate 74.8% 55.2%
Enrolled % 15.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 1070/1275 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

Academics

USJ Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (12%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Human Services (11%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

USJ Penn State
Graduation Rate 56% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

USJ Penn State
% Men 23% 53%
% Women 77% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 54% 69%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 17% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 2%

Students

USJ Penn State
% In-State 83% 51%
% Out-of-State 16% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than USJ based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,992 students)

USJ vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USJ or Penn State?

  • University of Saint Joseph is 128.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($42,050.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17% higher at USJ than Penn State Main Campus ($42,050.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Saint Joseph than Penn State ($25,860 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 3.9% lower than costs at University of Saint Joseph ($12,744 vs. $13,240)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Saint Joseph than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Saint Joseph students is 181.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($28,311 vs. $10,066)

USJ vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 270 points higher than at USJ (932)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at USJ (19)
  • USJ has a higher acceptance rate (74.8%) than Penn State (55.2%)

USJ vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USJ 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 USJ.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Saint Joseph (87% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,100 more per year than USJ graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,200)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than USJ graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than USJ graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USJ students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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