UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State

Deciding between University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UNC Charlotte Charlotte, NC
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • UNC Charlotte Large City
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UNC Charlotte 31,091
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • UNC Charlotte Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UNC Charlotte #529
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UNC Charlotte -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • UNC Charlotte Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UNC Charlotte
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UNC Charlotte $7,239
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UNC Charlotte $22,492
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • UNC Charlotte $14,458
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • UNC Charlotte $15,045
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UNC Charlotte $7,966
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UNC Charlotte 60%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UNC Charlotte 23,887
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • UNC Charlotte 19,015
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UNC Charlotte 79.6%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • UNC Charlotte 24.5%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UNC Charlotte 1240
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • UNC Charlotte 24
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • UNC Charlotte 3.57
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UNC Charlotte A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • UNC Charlotte Challenging
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UNC Charlotte
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • UNC Charlotte 21/28
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • UNC Charlotte 1140/1330
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UNC Charlotte Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UNC Charlotte Jun 1, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UNC Charlotte 21:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UNC Charlotte
    • Business (21%)
    • Social Sciences (8%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Education (7%)
    • Psychology (7%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UNC Charlotte 53%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UNC Charlotte $48,600
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UNC Charlotte 61%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UNC Charlotte $23,000
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UNC Charlotte $237
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UNC Charlotte 49%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • UNC Charlotte 51%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UNC Charlotte High
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • UNC Charlotte No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • UNC Charlotte 60%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • UNC Charlotte 6%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • UNC Charlotte 17%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UNC Charlotte 9%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • UNC Charlotte 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UNC Charlotte 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UNC Charlotte 4%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • UNC Charlotte 2%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UNC Charlotte 3%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UNC Charlotte 90%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UNC Charlotte 9%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC 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 UNC Charlotte based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 31,091 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is located in Charlotte, NC (Large City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte 21:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte than Penn State ($15,045 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are 0.1% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($14,458 vs. $14,474).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 185.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than UNC Charlotte (about $13,405 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $7,239.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 85.8% higher at Penn State than at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (about $19,298 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $22,492.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than at Penn State Main Campus (60% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 42.3% larger than aid received by University of North Carolina at Charlotte students ($11,336 vs. $7,966).

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UNC Charlotte 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 UNC Charlotte.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 90 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1240).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 24 at UNC Charlotte).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of North Carolina at Charlotte 1140/1330; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of North Carolina at Charlotte 21/28; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UNC Charlotte - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UNC Charlotte Jun 1, 2027.
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 24.5% at UNC Charlotte vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

UNC Charlotte vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UNC Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte's (53%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $6,700 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $48,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduates have a $3,818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($23,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, UNC Charlotte graduates have an estimated $40 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($237 vs. $277).
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 61%)

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.