Thomas Jefferson University vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Thomas Jefferson University and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Thomas Jefferson University, a private research university in Philadelphia, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 38%. Its student body is diverse, with 44% of undergraduates identifying as racial or ethnic minorities. Popular majors include nursing, biology, and business. In contrast, The Pennsylvania State University, a public research university with multiple campuses across the state, has a more open admissions policy, with an acceptance rate of 73%. Its student body is predominantly White (77%), and popular majors include engineering, business, and health professions. Both universities offer excellent graduation rates, with Thomas Jefferson University at 86% and The Pennsylvania State University at 84%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these universities and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	The Pennsylvania State University	Thomas Jefferson University
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	78.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1130 - 1320
ACT range	25 - 31	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	5,135
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	4,010
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	684
Yield rate	18.0%	17.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848	$66,038
Average net price	$24,012	$24,227
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	$41,900
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	Room/dormitory: $6,679 Meal plan: $6,821
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	100.0% Average amount $33,035
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	59.0% Average amount $5,123
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	9.0% Average amount $13,860

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	3,754 Men 25.2% Women 74.8%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	4,516 Men 28.1% Women 71.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	34.1%	41.0%
International students	10.5%	2.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	20,547	1,916
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Delaware Connecticut

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Health Professions Business Architecture Psychology Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	71.0%
Dropout rate	25.7%	6.9%
Transferred out	N/A	21.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $88,691 Year 2: $117,418 Year 3: $125,281 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,106 Year 2: $111,100 Year 3: $114,149 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,336 Year 2: $102,706 Year 3: $108,214 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,147 Year 2: $70,761 Year 3: $77,834 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,779 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $73,167 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,173 Year 2: $72,320 Year 3: $70,602 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $59,296 Year 2: $59,730 Year 3: $69,057 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,258 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $66,711 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,143 Year 2: $62,579 Year 3: $65,474 Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $64,182

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Thomas Jefferson University vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

The Pennsylvania State University

Thomas Jefferson University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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