Penn vs. Stanford

Should I go to University of Pennsylvania or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn or Stanford 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Harvard Princeton Caltech Duke MIT UC Berkeley UCLA Cornell USC Yale Johns Hopkins Pomona
University of Pennsylvania vs. Stanford University comparison
University of Pennsylvania Stanford University College 3 College 4
University of Pennsylvania Stanford University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Penn Stanford
Location Philadelphia, PA Stanford, CA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 28,201 18,283
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #23 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website upenn.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn Stanford
Tuition (In State) $56,212 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $56,212 $57,693
Room & Board $17,888 $18,619
Avg Net Price $26,123 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $57,175 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 53%

Admission

Penn Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,588 56,378
Admitted 3,549 2,075
Acceptance Rate 6.5% 3.7%
Enrolled % 67.9% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 33/35
SAT Range 1500/1570 1500/1580
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 Jan 5, 2024 Jan 2, 2024

Academics

Penn Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

Penn Stanford
Graduation Rate 96% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $123,600 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,633 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $213 $128

Diversity

Penn Stanford
% Men 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 37%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 10%
% International 11% 9%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Penn Stanford
% In-State 16% 35%
% Out-of-State 67% 48%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 18,283 students)

Penn vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 2.6% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at Stanford than University of Pennsylvania ($57,693.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than Penn ($18,279 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pennsylvania are 4.1% lower than costs at Stanford University ($17,888 vs. $18,619)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stanford University than University of Pennsylvania (53% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 6% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($60,619 vs. $57,175)

Penn vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 22 points higher than at Penn (1457)
  • Incoming Penn students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Stanford (33)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Penn (3.95)
  • Penn has a higher acceptance rate (6.5%) than Stanford (3.7%)

Penn vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn or Stanford? 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 Stanford and Penn.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is the same as at Stanford University (96% vs. 96%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $700 more per year than Stanford graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $122,900)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $8,158 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($12,475 vs. $20,633)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $85 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($128 vs. $213)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 84%)

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