UCLA vs. Penn State

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

 UCLA Penn State
Location Los Angeles, CA University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 46,678 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #62 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $39,626
Room & Board $17,148 $13,030
Avg Net Price $15,166 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $22,441 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 36%

Admission

 UCLA Penn State
Applied 145,903 85,956
Admitted 12,736 46,605
Acceptance Rate 8.7% 54.2%
Enrolled % 51.7% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35 27/32
SAT Range 1300/1530 1220/1400
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, 2025

Academics

 UCLA Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCLA Penn State
Graduation Rate 90% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $168 $277

Diversity

 UCLA Penn State
% Men 15% 8%
% Women 14% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 27% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 21% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 13% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCLA Penn State
% In-State 79% 51%
% Out-of-State 13% 40%

Campus

 UCLA 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 UCLA based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 46,678 students)

UCLA vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 66.2% more expensive to attend than UCLA for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.5% higher at UCLA than Penn State Main Campus ($42,611.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than Penn State ($15,166 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 31.6% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($13,030 vs. $17,148)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Los Angeles than Penn State Main Campus (49% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 93.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($22,441 vs. $11,577)

UCLA vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 137 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than UCLA (8.7%)

UCLA vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than Penn State Main Campus (90% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $15,400 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $55,300)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $10,518 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($16,300 vs. $26,818)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $109 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($168 vs. $277)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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