Skyline College vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Skyline College and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and student experiences. Skyline College, a community college located in San Bruno, California, prides itself on its open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds. In contrast, The Pennsylvania State University, a public research university with multiple campuses across Pennsylvania, boasts a highly selective admissions process, admitting only a fraction of applicants. While Skyline College offers a diverse range of associate degrees and certificates, Penn State's extensive academic portfolio includes undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your educational journey.

	The Pennsylvania State University	Skyline College
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	San Bruno, California
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

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

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848	In state: $24,603 Out of state: $33,873
Average net price	$24,012	$4,885
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	In state: $1,380 Out of state: $10,650
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	71.0% Average amount $5,829
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	1.0% Average amount $2,722
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	7,776 Men 46.5% Women 53.5%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	34.1%	0.1%
International students	10.5%	3.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	20,547	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia	California Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	22:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	40.8%
Dropout rate	25.7%	48.0%
Transferred out	N/A	8.2%
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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $83,546 Year 3: $100,047 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A

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Skyline College vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

The Pennsylvania State University

Skyline College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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