Pacific College of Health and Science vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Pacific College of Health and Science and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Pacific College, a private institution in sunny San Diego, California, boasts a small and diverse student body, with an acceptance rate of 85% and a focus on health sciences and nursing programs. In contrast, Penn State, a public research university in University Park, Pennsylvania, has a much larger and more diverse student body, with an acceptance rate of 54% and a wide range of academic programs, including engineering, business, and liberal arts. Both universities offer a vibrant campus life and a commitment to student success, but their unique characteristics may appeal to different individuals. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which institution better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pacific College of Health and Science	The Pennsylvania State University
Overview
Location	San Diego, California	University Park, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	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: $50 Graduate: $50	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)		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	$31,351	In state: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848
Average net price	$24,597	$24,012
Tuition	$9,606	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)	39.0% Average amount $3,348	51.0% Average amount $9,884
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $4,750	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	293 Men 21.5% Women 78.5%	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Graduate students	752 Men 19.1% Women 80.9%	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.1%
International students	0.1%	10.5%
Campus local/setting	City: 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	N/A	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.4%	72.3%
Dropout rate	28.6%	25.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $25,845 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: $21,896 Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $20,929 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $17,634 Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,585 Year 2: $21,052 Year 3: $16,437 Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $33,828 Year 2: N/A 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

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.

Pacific College of Health and Science

University of California-Berkeley