UCI vs. Penn State

Should I go to University of California Irvine or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI 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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University of California Irvine vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
University of California Irvine Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 UCI Penn State
Location Irvine, CA University Park, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 35,937 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,946
Room & Board $17,699 $12,744
Avg Net Price $14,033 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 44%

Admission

 UCI Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 85,784
Admitted 25,212 47,360
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 55.2%
Enrolled % 22.5% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 26/33 26/31
SAT Range 1230/1430 1210/1390
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UCI Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCI Penn State
Graduation Rate 85% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $175 $277

Diversity

 UCI Penn State
% Men 45% 53%
% Women 55% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 16% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UCI Penn State
% In-State 81% 51%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

 UCI 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

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 35,937 students)

UCI vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 58.8% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.8% higher at UCI than Penn State Main Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Penn State ($14,033 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 38.9% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($12,744 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than Penn State Main Campus (80% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 73% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($17,411 vs. $10,066)

UCI vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 27 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UCI students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of California Irvine (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $6,500 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $55,300)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $9,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($17,000 vs. $26,818)
  • UCI graduates are paying $102 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($175 vs. $277)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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