Central vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
Location Warrensburg, MO Middletown, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 11,637 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #708 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucmo.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $8,040 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,080 $25,854
Room & Board $9,699 $14,978
Avg Net Price $15,117 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $6,517 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 63%

Admission

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,993 9,925
Admitted 3,562 9,483
Acceptance Rate 71.3% 95.5%
Enrolled % 28.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 24/28
SAT Range 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

Academics

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (21%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 50% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,441 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 46% 60%
% Women 54% 40%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 59%
% Black 11% 11%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Central Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 88% 46%
% Out-of-State 11% 27%

Campus

 Central 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

  • University of Central Missouri is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (11,637 students vs. 4,572 students)

Central vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Central or Penn State Harrisburg?

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 91.4% more expensive to attend than Central for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,040.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 60.8% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than University of Central Missouri ($25,854.00 vs. $16,080.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Missouri than Penn State Harrisburg ($15,117 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Missouri are 54.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($9,699 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Missouri than Penn State Harrisburg (98% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 36.3% larger than aid received University of Central Missouri ($8,882 vs. $6,517)

Central vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Central 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 Central .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 33 points higher than at Central (1010)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Central (22)
  • Accepted freshman Central students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Central (71.3%)

Central vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Central 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 Central.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than University of Central Missouri (63% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $13,800 more per year than Central graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,500)
  • University of Central Missouri students graduate with a $4,377 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($22,441 vs. $26,818)
  • Central 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 Central students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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