University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Envision yourself pursuing higher education at either the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) or The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), two esteemed institutions with distinct characteristics. UAH, nestled in the vibrant city of Huntsville, Alabama, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong focus on STEM disciplines, reflected in its exceptional engineering and nursing programs. PSU, on the other hand, is a sprawling Big Ten university located in University Park, Pennsylvania, renowned for its comprehensive academic offerings, including acclaimed programs in business, engineering, and liberal arts. While both universities offer a rich and rewarding college experience, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	The Pennsylvania State University	University of Alabama in Huntsville
Overview
Location	University Park, Pennsylvania	Huntsville, Alabama
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
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	87.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.3%	73.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1140 - 1360	1170 - 1420
ACT range	25 - 31	24 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	92.0%
Total number of applicants	96,686	5,781
Total number of admissions given out	89,207	4,259
Admitted students who chose to enroll	16,049	1,204
Yield rate	18.0%	28.3%
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	In state: $28,708 Out of state: $41,104
Average net price	$24,012	$17,302
Tuition	In state: $18,368 Out of state: $35,946	In state: $9,730 Out of state: $22,126
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,360 Meal plan: $5,618	$10,652
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	51.0% Average amount $9,884	94.0% Average amount $10,727
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,305	39.0% Average amount $5,045
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $19,837	5.0% Average amount $13,858

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	73,476 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	7,569 Men 59.1% Women 40.9%
Graduate students	15,438 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	2,067 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.1%	31.4%
International students	10.5%	3.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	20,547	2,200
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	Alabama Tennessee Georgia Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences	Engineering Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.3%	60.7%
Dropout rate	25.7%	11.9%
Transferred out	N/A	24.1%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,354 Year 2: $91,017 Year 3: $94,793 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,974 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $76,262 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,266 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $72,527 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,538 Year 2: $60,452 Year 3: $69,837 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,270 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $69,217 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,668 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $61,551 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,684 Year 2: $43,993 Year 3: $54,212 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,910 Year 2: $50,554 Year 3: $50,913 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,282 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $46,094 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,498 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $40,101

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University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) vs The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

The Pennsylvania State University

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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