Texas A&M vs. Penn State

Should I go to Texas A&M University College Station or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Texas A&M 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.
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Texas A&M University College Station vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Texas A&M University College Station Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Texas A&M University College Station Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Texas A&M Penn State
Location College Station, TX University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 76,633 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #121 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tamu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Texas A&M Penn State
Tuition (In State) $9,199 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $36,428 $39,626
Room & Board $13,154 $13,030
Avg Net Price $21,610 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $11,607 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 61% 36%

Admission

 Texas A&M Penn State
Applied 50,832 85,956
Admitted 32,149 46,605
Acceptance Rate 63.2% 54.2%
Enrolled % 42.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/31 27/32
SAT Range 1140/1380 1220/1400
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Dec 1, 2025

Academics

 Texas A&M Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Agriculture (10%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Texas A&M Penn State
Graduation Rate 81% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $193 $277

Diversity

 Texas A&M Penn State
% Men 11% 8%
% Women 10% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 65% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 22% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Texas A&M Penn State
% In-State 94% 51%
% Out-of-State 5% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Texas A&M University College Station is larger than than Penn State based on total student enrollment (76,633 students vs. 50,399 students)

Texas A&M vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Texas A&M or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 113.8% more expensive to attend than Texas A&M for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $9,199.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.8% higher at Penn State than Texas A&M University College Station ($39,626.00 vs. $36,428.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Texas A&M University College Station than Penn State ($21,610 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1% lower than costs at Texas A&M University College Station ($13,030 vs. $13,154)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Texas A&M University College Station than Penn State Main Campus (61% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Texas A&M University College Station students is 0.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($11,607 vs. $11,577)

Texas A&M vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Texas A&M University College Station (1212) is 10 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Texas A&M students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Texas A&M has a higher acceptance rate (63.2%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Texas A&M vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Texas A&M 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 Texas A&M.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Texas A&M University College Station (87% vs. 81%)
  • Graduates from Texas A&M University College Station earn on average $10,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Texas A&M University College Station students graduate with a $8,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($18,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Texas A&M graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($193 vs. $277)
  • More Texas A&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 69%)

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