Franklin and Marshall College (FandM) vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)
Franklin and Marshall College and The Pennsylvania State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Pennsylvania, offer distinct educational experiences. Franklin and Marshall, a private liberal arts college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 34%, while Penn State, a public research university, is more accessible with an acceptance rate of 54%. Franklin and Marshall's student body is smaller and more diverse, with 2,300 undergraduates representing 48 states and 60 countries, while Penn State's student body is larger and more local, with over 46,000 undergraduates primarily from Pennsylvania. Both institutions offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors at Franklin and Marshall including Business, Economics, and Government, and popular majors at Penn State including Engineering, Business, and Health Professions. With graduation rates of 88% and 84% respectively, both Franklin and Marshall and Penn State provide students with the tools and support they need
|
![]() Franklin and Marshall College |
![]() The Pennsylvania State University |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | University Park, Pennsylvania |
Campus setting | City: Small | City: Small |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Public |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 91.0% | 87.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 37.5% | 92.3% |
Application fees | $60 |
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 | 7,720 | 96,686 |
Total number of admissions given out | 2,898 | 89,207 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 510 | 16,049 |
Yield rate | 17.6% | 18.0% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price | $80,618 |
In state:
$38,270
Out of state:
$55,848
|
Average net price | $26,316 | $24,012 |
Tuition | $63,216 |
In state:
$18,368
Out of state:
$35,946
|
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$8,722
Meal plan:
$6,018
|
Room/dormitory:
$7,360
Meal plan:
$5,618
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
62.0%
Average amount $50,026 |
51.0%
Average amount $9,884 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
53.0%
Average amount $4,947 |
49.0%
Average amount $5,305 |
Students taking out private loans |
7.0%
Average amount $16,505 |
13.0%
Average amount $19,837 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
2,145
Men 44.2% Women 55.8% |
73,476
Men 53.7% Women 46.3% |
Graduate students | N/A |
15,438
Men 51.7% Women 48.3% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Low
|
Out-of-state students | N/A | 34.1% |
International students | 18.2% | 10.5% |
Campus local/setting | City: Small | City: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 2,272 | 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 |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 9:1 | 15:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 82.8% | 72.3% |
Dropout rate | 2.0% | 25.7% |
Transferred out | 13.8% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Mining and Mineral Engineering (Associate's Degrees)
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
Nuclear Engineering (Master's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.













































































































































































































































































