Ohio State University & Penn State University Park Research
Source: osu_psu.md
Ohio State University & Penn State University Park Research
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Admissions Overview
- Acceptance rate (overall): ~53% (Class of 2029: 49%; Class of 2028: 60.6%)
- Acceptance rate (EA): 60.4% (Class of 2029)
- Total applicants: 72,829 (Class of 2028)
- Class size: 9,530 (record first-year class, 2024-25)
- Yield rate: 22%
- Early Action deadline: November 1 (non-binding)
Academic Profile (Middle 50%)
- SAT: 1280-1430
- ACT: 26-32
- Average GPA: 3.76
- Top 10% of class: 64%
- Top 25% of class: 96%
- Testing policy: Test-optional through 2025-26; test-required starting 2026
Demographics
| Group |
Percentage |
| White |
58% |
| Asian |
10% |
| Black |
8% |
| Hispanic |
6% |
| International |
~10% (~6,000 students) |
| Multiracial |
5% |
| Women |
52% |
Net Cost by Income
| Income Range |
Net Price |
| $0-30,000 |
$8,194 |
| $30,001-48,000 |
$10,037 |
| $48,001-75,000 |
$13,982 |
| $75,001-110,000 |
$21,364 |
| Over $110,000 |
$24,348 |
Athletics
- 36 varsity sports (most in Big Ten)
- 1,118 student-athletes (581 men, 537 women)
- Athlete percentage: ~1.8% of undergraduate enrollment
- Note: Reducing roster sizes by ~150 while adding 91 scholarships under new NCAA rules (2025-26)
Key Notes
- Largest campus enrollment in Big Ten history
- Strong in engineering, business, medicine, and STEM
- Columbus is a major metropolitan area (job market advantage)
- In-state tuition: $13,244; out-of-state: $40,022
Pennsylvania State University — University Park (State College, PA)
Admissions Overview
- Acceptance rate (overall): ~54% (varies by source: 50-61% depending on cycle)
- Acceptance rate (EA): N/A — Penn State uses rolling admissions
- Total applicants: 106,000+ (summer/fall 2024)
- Class size: 9,169 (2024-25)
- Yield rate: 17% (declining trend; was 21% for Class of 2024)
- Admissions type: Rolling admissions with priority deadline
Academic Profile (Middle 50%)
- SAT: 1240-1420 (median 1330)
- ACT: 27-32 (median 30)
- Average GPA: ~3.60 (estimated from class rank data)
- Top 10% of class: 37%
- Top 25% of class: 72%
- Top 50% of class: 95%
- Testing policy: Test-optional through Fall 2026
Demographics
| Group |
Percentage |
| White |
59% |
| Asian |
7% |
| Black |
4% |
| Hispanic |
9% |
| International |
15% |
| Multiracial |
4% |
| Women |
46% |
Net Cost by Income
| Income Range |
Net Price |
| $0-30,000 |
$20,814 |
| $30,001-48,000 |
$22,051 |
| $48,001-75,000 |
$25,704 |
| $75,001-110,000 |
$29,852 |
| Over $110,000 |
$31,896 |
Note: Penn State's net cost is notably higher than Ohio State across all income brackets, reflecting less generous need-based aid.
Athletics
- 31 varsity sports (tied 4th-most among FBS schools)
- ~800 student-athletes
- Athlete percentage: ~1.9% of undergraduate enrollment
Key Notes
- Uses rolling admissions (no traditional EA/ED rounds)
- 2nd-largest alumni network in the US (over 700,000)
- Strong in engineering (particularly industrial/mechanical), meteorology, business
- University Park campus is isolated (State College, PA)
- Higher net cost compared to peer flagships
Comparison: OSU vs PSU
| Metric |
Ohio State |
Penn State |
| Acceptance Rate |
~53% |
~54% |
| SAT Middle 50% |
1280-1430 |
1240-1420 |
| Class Size |
9,530 |
9,169 |
| Yield Rate |
22% |
17% |
| Top 10% HS Class |
64% |
37% |
| Net Cost ($0-30K) |
$8,194 |
$20,814 |
| International % |
10% |
15% |
| Varsity Sports |
36 |
31 |
Key differences:
- Ohio State is slightly more academically selective (higher SAT, more top-10% students)
- Ohio State has significantly lower net cost for low-income families ($8K vs $21K)
- Penn State has higher international enrollment (15% vs 10%)
- Ohio State has higher yield (22% vs 17%)
- Penn State uses rolling admissions; Ohio State offers EA
Sources
- Ohio State Enrollment Analytics: https://eari.osu.edu/admissions.aspx
- Penn State Class Profile: https://www.psu.edu/resources/first-year-students/eligibility
- College Factual (demographics, net price): collegefactual.com
- NextGenAdmit (admission statistics): nextgenadmit.com
- CollegeData, CollegeSimply, Empowerly (supplementary data)