Cascadia College vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Cascadia College and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Cascadia College, a community college in Bothell, Washington, boasts an open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds. In contrast, The Pennsylvania State University, a public research university in University Park, Pennsylvania, has a more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 54%. Both institutions offer a diverse range of academic programs, with Cascadia College specializing in associate degrees and certificates, while Penn State excels in undergraduate and graduate degrees. Cascadia College's student body is predominantly local, while Penn State attracts a more diverse population from across the country and the world. With different graduation rates, costs, and campus environments, these institutions cater to different student needs. Explore the comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

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

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	92.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1140 - 1360
ACT range	N/A	25 - 31
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)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,523 Out of state: $20,886	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848
Average net price	$8,338	$24,012
Tuition	In state: $4,053 Out of state: $4,416	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	17.0% Average amount $8,001	51.0% Average amount $9,884
Students receiving federal student loan	2.0% Average amount $5,387	49.0% Average amount $5,305
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	13.0% Average amount $19,837

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,996 Men 49.6% Women 50.4%	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Graduate students	N/A	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	2.4%	34.1%
International students	3.5%	10.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	20,547
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Washington California Florida New Jersey	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Business Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.2%	72.3%
Dropout rate	29.6%	25.7%
Transferred out	27.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,557 Year 2: $25,580 Year 3: $28,679	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

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Cascadia College

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