Central State vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Central State University and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Central State, a historically Black university, fosters a close-knit community with a focus on undergraduate education, while Penn State, a Big Ten research university, boasts a vast array of academic programs and a vibrant student life. With acceptance rates of 68% and 54%, respectively, both universities welcome a diverse student body. Central State's student population is predominantly African American, while Penn State's is more racially and ethnically diverse. Popular majors at Central State include business, education, and social sciences, while Penn State offers a wider range of programs, including engineering, health sciences, and liberal arts. Graduation rates stand at 45% for Central State and 84% for Penn State, reflecting the different missions and resources of the two universities. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision about your academic future.

	Central State University	The Pennsylvania State University
Overview
Location	Wilberforce, Ohio	University Park, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
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	41.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	58.6%	92.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	770 - 950	1140 - 1360
ACT range	14 - 18	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	1.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	8,019	96,686
Total number of admissions given out	4,702	89,207
Admitted students who chose to enroll	804	16,049
Yield rate	17.1%	18.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $21,342 Out of state: $23,342	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848
Average net price	$10,598	$24,012
Tuition	In state: $4,842 Out of state: $6,842	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,600 Meal plan: $4,880	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)	93.0% Average amount $6,671	51.0% Average amount $9,884
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $5,983	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	6,035 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Graduate students	9 Men 55.6% Women 44.4%	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.1%
International students	2.2%	10.5%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,380	20,547
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service Education	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	23.5%	72.3%
Dropout rate	61.1%	25.7%
Transferred out	13.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,649 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $31,157 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,435 Year 2: $28,133 Year 3: $30,254 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,992 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $29,942 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $26,666 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,189 Year 2: $27,476 Year 3: N/A Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: N/A	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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