SWOSU vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
Location Weatherford, OK Middletown, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,777 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #794 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swosu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $6,585 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $13,695 $25,854
Room & Board $6,930 $14,978
Avg Net Price $13,699 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $8,539 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 63%

Admission

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,571 9,925
Admitted 1,974 9,483
Acceptance Rate 76.8% 95.5%
Enrolled % 37.6% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/23 24/28
SAT Range 1100/1310
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

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (28%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 33% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,687 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $162 $277

Diversity

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 36% 60%
% Women 64% 40%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 67% 59%
% Black 5% 11%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 4% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 5% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

SWOSU Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 89% 46%
% Out-of-State 8% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Southwestern Oklahoma State University is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (4,777 students vs. 4,572 students)

SWOSU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 133.7% more expensive to attend than SWOSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $6,585.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 88.8% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Southwestern Oklahoma State University ($25,854.00 vs. $13,695.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Oklahoma State University than Penn State Harrisburg ($13,699 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University are 116.1% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($6,930 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern Oklahoma State University than Penn State Harrisburg (90% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 4% larger than aid received Southwestern Oklahoma State University ($8,882 vs. $8,539)

SWOSU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SWOSU 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 SWOSU .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 53 points higher than at SWOSU (990)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at SWOSU (21)
  • Accepted freshman SWOSU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than SWOSU (76.8%)

SWOSU vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SWOSU 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 SWOSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Southwestern Oklahoma State University (63% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $6,700 more per year than SWOSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,600)
  • Southwestern Oklahoma State University students graduate with a $11,131 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($15,687 vs. $26,818)
  • SWOSU graduates are paying $115 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($162 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SWOSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 54%)

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