The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) vs Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

When it comes to higher education in Pennsylvania, two prominent institutions stand out: The Pennsylvania State University and Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. While both offer a wide range of academic programs and opportunities, they differ in several key aspects. Penn State, a public research university, boasts a much larger student body and a broader range of majors, including engineering, business, and liberal arts. In contrast, Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, a private institution, specializes in healthcare-related fields such as nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Acceptance rates, student demographics, and graduation rates also vary between the two, making it essential for prospective students to carefully consider their individual needs and preferences. Explore the detailed comparison table below to gain a deeper understanding of these differences and make an informed decision about which institution is the right fit for your academic journey.

	Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences	The Pennsylvania State University
Overview
Location	Lancaster, Pennsylvania	University Park, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	56.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	49.1%	92.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1140 - 1360
ACT range	N/A	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		6.0%
Total number of applicants	493	96,686
Total number of admissions given out	242	89,207
Admitted students who chose to enroll	102	16,049
Yield rate	42.1%	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	$47,306	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848
Average net price	$36,179	$24,012
Tuition	$29,386	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $5,456	51.0% Average amount $9,884
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,684	49.0% Average amount $5,305
Students taking out private loans	25.0% Average amount $16,898	13.0% Average amount $19,837

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,670 Men 10.7% Women 89.3%	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Graduate students	146 Men 15.1% Women 84.9%	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	0.0%	34.1%
International students	N/A	10.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	20,547
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	72.3%
Dropout rate	20.8%	25.7%
Transferred out	28.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,076 Year 2: $67,180 Year 3: $73,194 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $62,635 Year 2: $58,931 Year 3: $63,529 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,608 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $55,009 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $52,995	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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

Mercy College of Health Sciences