UNI vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Location Cedar Falls, IA Middletown, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,945 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #414 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uni.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $8,111 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $19,265 $25,854
Room & Board $9,343 $14,978
Avg Net Price $15,782 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $6,412 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 63%

Admission

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,594 9,925
Admitted 4,362 9,483
Acceptance Rate 94.9% 95.5%
Enrolled % 32.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 24/28
SAT Range 1020/1330 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

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 67% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,625 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $213 $277

Diversity

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 36% 60%
% Women 64% 40%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 83% 59%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 4% 10%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 91% 46%
% Out-of-State 8% 27%

Campus

UNI Penn State Harrisburg
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Northern Iowa is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (8,945 students vs. 4,572 students)

UNI vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 89.7% more expensive to attend than UNI for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,111.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.2% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than University of Northern Iowa ($25,854.00 vs. $19,265.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Northern Iowa than Penn State Harrisburg ($15,782 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Northern Iowa are 60.3% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($9,343 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Northern Iowa than Penn State Harrisburg (83% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 38.5% larger than aid received University of Northern Iowa ($8,882 vs. $6,412)

UNI vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UNI 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 UNI .

  • The average SAT score at University of Northern Iowa (1050) is 7 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming UNI students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman UNI students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than UNI (94.9%)

UNI vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNI 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 UNI.

  • The graduation rate at UNI is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $7,600 more per year than UNI graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,700)
  • University of Northern Iowa students graduate with a $6,193 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($20,625 vs. $26,818)
  • UNI graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More UNI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

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