Heidelberg University vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant academic landscapes of Heidelberg University and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions with distinct identities. Heidelberg, a private liberal arts college nestled in the historic town of Tiffin, Ohio, offers a close-knit community and personalized attention, fostering intellectual growth and leadership skills. In contrast, Penn State, a public research university with multiple campuses across Pennsylvania, boasts a vast array of academic programs, cutting-edge research opportunities, and a spirited Division I athletic program. While both universities excel in providing quality education, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, embarking on a journey toward success and fulfillment.

	Heidelberg University	The Pennsylvania State University
Overview
Location	Tiffin, Ohio	University Park, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	70.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.4%	92.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1030 - 1162	1140 - 1360
ACT range	19 - 24	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	71.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	1,811	96,686
Total number of admissions given out	1,564	89,207
Admitted students who chose to enroll	266	16,049
Yield rate	17.0%	18.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$43,350	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848
Average net price	$21,650	$24,012
Tuition	$32,900	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,670 Meal plan: $5,400	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,158	51.0% Average amount $9,884
Students receiving federal student loan	96.0% Average amount $4,347	49.0% Average amount $5,305
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $12,528	13.0% Average amount $19,837

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,054 Men 51.1% Women 48.9%	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Graduate students	143 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	17.0%	34.1%
International students	1.1%	10.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	850	20,547
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Michigan Florida Indiana Colorado	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Social Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.4%	72.3%
Dropout rate	22.8%	25.7%
Transferred out	18.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,780 Year 2: $40,728 Year 3: $51,329 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $42,763 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,249 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $41,125 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,133 Year 2: $33,637 Year 3: $37,164 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: $36,120 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,531 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $35,428 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,912 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: N/A Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,027 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,477 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,295 Year 2: $120,549 Year 3: $125,527 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,798 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $120,289 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,190 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $113,544 Mining and Mineral Engineering (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $98,403 Year 3: $108,754 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,372 Year 2: $100,455 Year 3: $107,874 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,574 Year 2: $99,291 Year 3: $104,370 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,304 Year 2: $97,855 Year 3: $104,056 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,512 Year 2: $94,864 Year 3: $103,461 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $98,201 Nuclear Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $89,155 Year 3: $94,780

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