UC Riverside vs. Penn State

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

 UC Riverside Penn State
Location Riverside, CA University Park, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 26,809 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,946
Room & Board $17,333 $12,744
Avg Net Price $14,487 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 44%

Admission

 UC Riverside Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 85,784
Admitted 37,563 47,360
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 55.2%
Enrolled % 14.8% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 26/31
SAT Range 1080/1280 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

 UC Riverside Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside Penn State
Graduation Rate 67% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $197 $277

Diversity

 UC Riverside Penn State
% Men 49% 53%
% Women 51% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 13% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 36% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UC Riverside Penn State
% In-State 94% 51%
% Out-of-State 2% 40%

Campus

 UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 58.8% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.8% higher at UC Riverside 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 Riverside than Penn State ($14,487 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 36% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($12,744 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than Penn State Main Campus (75% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 119% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($22,042 vs. $10,066)

UC Riverside vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 83 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than Penn State (55.2%)

UC Riverside vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of California Riverside (87% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $3,100 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $7,709 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,109 vs. $26,818)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $80 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($197 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside 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/