University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Penn

Should I go to University of Massachusetts Lowell or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if University of Massachusetts-Lowell or Penn 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 Massachusetts Lowell vs. University of Pennsylvania comparison
University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Location Lowell, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 17,153 28,201
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #406 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uml.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Tuition (In State) $15,462 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $33,830 $56,212
Room & Board $13,930 $17,888
Avg Net Price $17,240 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $11,983 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 46%

Admission

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,253 54,588
Admitted 10,532 3,549
Acceptance Rate 86% 6.5%
Enrolled % 18.4% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 25/31 34/35
SAT Range 1170/1348 1500/1570
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 Feb 15, 2024 Jan 5, 2024

Academics

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (12%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Graduation Rate 50% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $258 $213

Diversity

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
% Men 57% 44%
% Women 43% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 45%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 10% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
% In-State 87% 16%
% Out-of-State 10% 67%

Campus

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Penn
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than University of Massachusetts-Lowell based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 17,153 students)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, University of Massachusetts-Lowell or Penn?

  • University of Pennsylvania is 263.5% more expensive to attend than University of Massachusetts-Lowell for in-state tuition ($56,212.00 vs. $15,462.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.2% higher at Penn than University of Massachusetts Lowell ($56,212.00 vs. $33,830.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Massachusetts Lowell than Penn ($17,240 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Lowell are 28.4% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($13,930 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Lowell than University of Pennsylvania (82% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 377.1% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Lowell ($57,175 vs. $11,983)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 260 points higher than at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (1197)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (26)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (3.67)
  • University of Massachusetts-Lowell has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than Penn (6.5%)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, University of Massachusetts-Lowell or Penn? 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 and University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than University of Massachusetts Lowell (96% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $4,367 lower median federal student loan debt than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($20,633 vs. $25,000)
  • Penn graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($213 vs. $258)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of Massachusetts-Lowell students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 63%)

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