Union University vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Union University and The Pennsylvania State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Union, a private Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee, fosters a close-knit community with a focus on liberal arts and professional programs. Penn State, a public research university with multiple campuses across Pennsylvania, boasts a vast array of academic offerings and a vibrant student life. While both universities provide excellent education, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	The Pennsylvania State University	Union University
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	Jackson, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	52.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1120 - 1330
ACT range	25 - 31	23 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	14.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	2,660
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	1,407
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	355
Yield rate	18.0%	25.2%
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: $38,270 Out of state: $55,848	$57,160
Average net price	$24,012	$27,660
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	$34,320
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	Room/dormitory: $8,250 Meal plan: $3,800
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	99.0% Average amount $27,090
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	48.0% Average amount $5,366
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	6.0% Average amount $10,345

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	1,993 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	937 Men 29.5% Women 70.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.1%	N/A
International students	10.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	20,547	1,288
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	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	68.3%
Dropout rate	25.7%	8.5%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
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 (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $110,140 Year 2: $120,955 Year 3: $125,017 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,963 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $90,742 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,081 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $76,100 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,416 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $68,907 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,095 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $58,445 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $56,930 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $57,493 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,028 Year 2: $44,590 Year 3: $47,722 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,732 Year 2: $47,191 Year 3: $47,278 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,103 Year 2: $43,674 Year 3: $45,420 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,212 Year 2: $39,693 Year 3: $41,241

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