UMass vs. Penn State

Deciding between University of Massachusetts Amherst and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Penn State Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UMass Amherst, MA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • UMass Town Fringe
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UMass 31,726
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • UMass Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UMass #169
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UMass -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • UMass Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UMass
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UMass $17,772
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UMass $40,449
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • UMass $16,710
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • UMass $22,948
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UMass $13,110
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UMass 81%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UMass 50,261
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • UMass 30,020
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UMass 59.7%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • UMass 17.9%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UMass 1410
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • UMass 31
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • UMass 3.99
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UMass A
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • UMass Exceptional
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UMass Low
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • UMass 30/33
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • UMass 1310/1500
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UMass Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UMass Jan 15, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UMass 17:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UMass
    • Business (15%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Communication (7%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UMass 67%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UMass $55,200
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UMass 76%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UMass $24,000
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UMass $248
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UMass 48%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • UMass 52%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UMass Medium
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • UMass No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • UMass 67%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • UMass 9%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • UMass 4%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UMass 5%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • UMass 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UMass 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UMass 3%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • UMass 4%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UMass 8%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UMass 69%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UMass 22%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UMass Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UMass No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • UMass Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UMass Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • UMass Yes
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than UMass based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 31,726 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst, MA (Town Fringe setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Massachusetts Amherst 17:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

UMass vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMass or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Massachusetts Amherst than Penn State ($22,948 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 13.4% lower than at University of Massachusetts Amherst ($14,474 vs. $16,710).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 16.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than UMass (about $2,872 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $17,772.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 3.3% higher at Penn State than at University of Massachusetts Amherst (about $1,341 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $40,449.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than at Penn State Main Campus (81% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Massachusetts Amherst students is 15.6% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($13,110 vs. $11,336).

UMass vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMass or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and UMass.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Massachusetts Amherst (1410) is 80 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming UMass students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (31 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 1310/1500; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 30/33; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UMass - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UMass Jan 15, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than UMass (59.7%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.9% at UMass vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

UMass vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UMass and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst's (67%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $100 more per year than UMass graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $55,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Massachusetts Amherst graduates have a $2,818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($24,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UMass graduates have an estimated $29 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($248 vs. $277).
  • More UMass 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.