UW-Madison vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Madison, Wisconsin, or State College, Pennsylvania, home to two esteemed institutions of higher learning: University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Pennsylvania State University. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences. UW-Madison boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from across the nation and the globe. Penn State, on the other hand, is known for its strong alumni network and extensive research opportunities. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the details of each university's acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for an enriching and transformative college journey.

	The Pennsylvania State University	University of Wisconsin-Madison
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	Madison, Wisconsin
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	60.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1320 - 1500
ACT range	25 - 31	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	55.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	53,781
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	32,459
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	8,465
Yield rate	18.0%	26.1%
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	In state: $27,418 Out of state: $55,306
Average net price	$24,012	$13,484
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	In state: $9,273 Out of state: $37,161
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	Room/dormitory: $7,367 Meal plan: $4,100
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	54.0% Average amount $10,932
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	26.0% Average amount $5,175
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	6.0% Average amount $16,550

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	34,561 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	12,455 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.1%	50.6%
International students	10.5%	13.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	20,547	9,226
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	Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota California New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Health Professions Business Social Sciences Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	89.2%
Dropout rate	25.7%	10.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
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: N/A Year 2: $107,256 Year 3: $131,458 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $113,083 Year 2: $111,992 Year 3: $130,357 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,390 Year 2: $113,091 Year 3: $124,360 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $96,320 Year 2: $117,042 Year 3: $123,777 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,338 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $111,424 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $115,339 Year 3: $104,219 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,387 Year 2: $100,213 Year 3: $103,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,839 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $97,306 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $85,538 Year 3: $94,093 Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,730 Year 2: $73,949 Year 3: $91,306

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