Purdue University is the more selective of the two, admitting 49.8% of applicants versus 60.6% at Pennsylvania State University, University Park. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $25,667 per year at Pennsylvania State University, University Park versus $12,890 at Purdue University. Pennsylvania State University, University Park's yield rate is 15.0%, versus 29.0% at Purdue University.
| Metric | Pennsylvania State University, University Park | Purdue University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 60.6% | 49.8% |
| Early acceptance rate | 71.0% | 54.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1250–1410 | 1210–1470 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.84 | 3.76 |
| Yield rate | 15.0% | 29.0% |
| Class size | 9,169 | 10,628 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $25,667 | $12,890 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $37,831 | $24,567 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
No. Purdue University is more selective: it admits 49.8% of applicants, versus 60.6% at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $25,667 per year at Pennsylvania State University, University Park and $12,890 at Purdue University, so Purdue University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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