Texas A & M University-College Station (TAMU) vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of College Station, Texas, and State College, Pennsylvania, home to Texas A&M University and The Pennsylvania State University, respectively. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences. Texas A&M, with its lower acceptance rate and larger student body, fosters a spirited and diverse community. Penn State, known for its strong engineering and liberal arts programs, attracts a more ethnically diverse student population. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, popular majors, and financial aid opportunities, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	The Pennsylvania State University	Texas A & M University-College Station
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	College Station, Texas
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
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%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	64.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1140 - 1380
ACT range	25 - 31	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	72.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	28.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	43,763
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	28,132
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	12,323
Yield rate	18.0%	43.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not 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	In state: $31,703 Out of state: $58,598
Average net price	$24,012	$22,253
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	In state: $9,339 Out of state: $36,234
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	$11,400
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	64.0% Average amount $10,877
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	27.0% Average amount $5,082
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	6.0% Average amount $17,615

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	56,723 Men 52.9% Women 47.1%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	15,807 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	34.1%	4.9%
International students	10.5%	6.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	20,547	11,342
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	Texas California Louisiana Virginia Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Engineering Business Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	83.4%
Dropout rate	25.7%	3.0%
Transferred out	N/A	12.8%
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 (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $123,529 Year 2: $134,726 Year 3: $134,672 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $199,818 Year 2: $144,240 Year 3: $132,724 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,892 Year 2: $105,083 Year 3: $132,550 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,294 Year 2: $115,761 Year 3: $126,377 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,377 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $105,826 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,282 Year 2: $82,685 Year 3: $97,319 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,907 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $96,092 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,110 Year 2: $80,669 Year 3: $95,309 Marine Transportation (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,754 Year 2: $86,129 Year 3: $94,608 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,783 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $92,911

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