Tulane vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Nestled in the heart of New Orleans, Tulane University of Louisiana, and The Pennsylvania State University, a sprawling campus in University Park, Pennsylvania, stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, student demographics, and academic offerings. Tulane, with its acceptance rate of 13%, boasts a vibrant student body representing over 100 countries, while Penn State's acceptance rate of 54% reflects its commitment to accessibility. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these two esteemed universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the best fit for your academic journey.
The Pennsylvania State University logo

The Pennsylvania State University

Tulane University of Louisiana logo

Tulane University of Louisiana

Overview

Location University Park, Pennsylvania New Orleans, Louisiana
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% 94.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 92.3% 9.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
$50
SAT range 1140 - 1360 1360 - 1510
ACT range 25 - 31 30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 15.0%
Students submitting ACT score 6.0% 41.0%
Total number of applicants 96,686 45,525
Total number of admissions given out 89,207 4,385
Admitted students who chose to enroll 16,049 2,027
Yield rate 18.0% 46.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $38,270

Out of state: $55,848
$81,232
Average net price $24,012 $45,048
Tuition
In state: $18,368

Out of state: $35,946
$56,684
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,360

Meal plan: $5,618
Room/dormitory: $9,608

Meal plan: $7,170
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

51.0%
Average amount $9,884
72.0%
Average amount $29,882
Students receiving federal student loan 49.0%
Average amount $5,305
26.0%
Average amount $5,176
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $19,837
3.0%
Average amount $25,765

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 73,476
Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
8,700
Men 38.8% Women 61.2%
Graduate students 15,438
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
5,347
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 34.1% 91.5%
International students 10.5% 10.6%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 20,547 4,072
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 California New York Louisiana Texas Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 72.3% 86.0%
Dropout rate 25.7% 3.1%
Transferred out N/A 10.6%
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
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,779
  • Year 2: $102,409
  • Year 3: $114,342
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,001
  • Year 2: $87,973
  • Year 3: $92,405
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,044
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $91,413
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,951
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $79,920
Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $62,799
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $77,968
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,364
  • Year 2: $64,281
  • Year 3: $76,254
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,671
  • Year 2: $64,629
  • Year 3: $76,103
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,159
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $75,677
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,475
  • Year 2: $56,415
  • Year 3: $67,867
Medicine (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $59,288
  • Year 3: $66,473

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