SCSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location New Haven, CT Center Valley, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,889 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website southernct.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $6,470 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $19,358 $24,318
Room & Board $14,076 $12,984
Avg Net Price $18,712 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $7,308 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 78%

Admission

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,316 1,806
Admitted 6,896 1,699
Acceptance Rate 82.9% 94.1%
Enrolled % 16% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26
SAT Range 1100/1290
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

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (14%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 44% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $240 $277

Diversity

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 35% 57%
% Women 65% 43%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 56% 64%
% Black 18% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 10% 1%

Students

 SCSU Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 92% 93%
% Out-of-State 7% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Southern Connecticut State University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (8,889 students vs. 888 students)

SCSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 126% more expensive to attend than SCSU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $6,470.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.6% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Southern Connecticut State University ($24,318.00 vs. $19,358.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than SCSU ($18,142 vs. $18,712)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 8.4% lower than costs at Southern Connecticut State University ($12,984 vs. $14,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Connecticut State University than Penn State Lehigh Valley (81% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 35.3% larger than aid received Southern Connecticut State University ($9,886 vs. $7,308)

SCSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 101 points higher than at SCSU (918)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at SCSU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at SCSU (3.2)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than SCSU (82.9%)

SCSU vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is higher than Southern Connecticut State University (47% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $9,500 more per year than SCSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,800)
  • Southern Connecticut State University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • SCSU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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