Purchase College vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
Location Purchase, NY Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,182 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #319 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $25,854
Room & Board $14,948 $14,978
Avg Net Price $19,434 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $10,312 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 63%

Admission

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,747 9,925
Admitted 4,292 9,483
Acceptance Rate 74.7% 95.5%
Enrolled % 16% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 29/31 24/28
SAT Range 1190/1350 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 Jul 1, 2024

Academics

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 56% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 42% 60%
% Women 58% 40%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 59%
% Black 10% 11%
% Hispanic 18% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

Purchase College Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 85% 46%
% Out-of-State 14% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Purchase College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,182 students)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 117.7% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 52.3% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than SUNY at Purchase College ($25,854.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than Penn State Harrisburg ($19,434 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 0.2% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,948 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY at Purchase College than Penn State Harrisburg (73% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY at Purchase College students is 16.1% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($10,312 vs. $8,882)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Purchase College 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 Purchase College .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY at Purchase College (1082) is 39 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Purchase College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Purchase College (74.7%)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College 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 Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (63% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $15,100 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $4,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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