Academic Comparison between Penn State and Gwynedd Mercy

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus and Gwynedd Mercy University are frequently compared when students or parents prepare college admissions. Penn State is a four-year, public school located in University Park, PA and Gwynedd Mercy is a four-year, private (not-for-profit) school located in Gwynedd Valley, PA.

The following list compares two colleges briefly in important perspectives. You can compare them with comprehensive information on full comparison page.

Penn State is a public and Gwynedd Mercy is a private (not-for-profit) school and both are four-year schools.
Penn State has more expensive tuition & fees ($41,790) than Gwynedd Mercy ($40,838).
It is harder to admit to Penn State than Gwynedd Mercy.
Penn State has a higher submitted SAT score (1,330) than Gwynedd Mercy (1,090).
Penn State has more students with 50,737 students while Gwynedd Mercy has 2,017 students.
Gwynedd Mercy has a lower number of students per faculty with 12 to 1 while Penn State's ratio is 16 to 1.
Penn State has more full-time faculties with 4,174 faculties while Gwynedd Mercy has 82 full-time faculties.

Comparison Table with important Academic Factors

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	vs.	Gwynedd Mercy University
University Park, Pennsylvania	Location	Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
Four-year, Public	School Type	four-year, Private (not-for-profit)
Doctor's degree	Highest Degree Offered	Doctor's degree
Research University (very high research activity)	Carnegie Classification	Doctoral / Research University
In-State$20,644 Out-Of-State$41,790	2025 Tuition & Fees	$40,838
50%	% Receiving Financial Aid	68%
$14,013	Average Amount of Financial Aid	$24,303

60.56 %	Acceptance Rates	89.63 %
17.11 %	Yield (Enrollment Rates)	17.04 %
1,330	SAT Score	1,090
30	ACT Score	-
86 %	Graduation Rate	57 %
2 %	Transfer-out Rate	-
93 %	Retention Rate	78 %
50,737	Student Population	2,017
4,174	Number of Faculties	82
16 to 1	Students to Faculty Ratio	12 to 1
Distance Learning (Online Classes), ROTC, Study Abroad, Weekend/Evening College, Teacher Certification	Special Learning Opportunities	Distance Learning (Online Classes), Study Abroad, Weekend/Evening College, Teacher Certification
Academic/career counseling service, Employment services, On-campus daycare	On Campus Student Services	Academic/career counseling service, Employment services