Is there a big gap between the academic reputation of Rutgers and Penn State or are they seen as being in the same slab?
They are seen as largely the same. Penn State does have an advantage with most publications ranking Penn State moderately above rutgers. As someone who has lived most of their lives in the Philly area they are viewed similarly.
IMO they are both fine schools and I’d consider them to be in the same pot. But if you believe the USNWR rankings relate to prestige then Penn State is #47 tied with Lehigh, Northeastern and UFlorida while Rutgers is #72 tied with Baylor and American. Penn State has more name recognition out of the Northeasat but IMO that is due at least in part to football.
Probably viewed similarly, at least once you get out of New Jersey.
Penn State is definitely the better of the two schools.
bump
Largely the same.
USNews rankings are fairly useless.
Penn has a better rep in mid atlantic
^ PSU isn’t Penn.
Go with the cheaper one (which ever you are in-state for)
OP is not in-state for either, and would be doing the 2+2 plan at PSU.
Says someone who attended neither. Have you even visited both schools, @LBad96?
@KnightOne, I think it depends on the major in terms of which is more prestigious. Their students are very similar stats-wise. I’d go with whichever is more affordable or, if similar in price, whichever campus experience you prefer. (They’re completely different.)
I would say Penn State is a more “popular” choice in the northeast for out-of-state students.
@LucieTheLakie can you please specify how the campuses vary?
Penn State is more of a classic campus (albeit a hilly one!) in a beautiful traditional college town. It’s also quite removed from any big cities. Rutgers is located in a much more urban environment and is comprised of several smaller campuses. It’s in a great location for getting to NYC or Philly.
Have you visited them both, @KnightOne? Where would you be coming from? What is your intended major? I see your avatar is sporting the Stanford seal. Is that what you’re comparing these two schools to?
Here are virtual campus tours for each:
http://admissions.psu.edu/pennstate/virtualtour/
If cost isn’t a concern, and Stanford was your dream, I’d give the nod to Penn State.
For a person that is high energy and likes a social scene always on the boil, Rutgers is a good choice. NJ Transit has a station right on campus.
@LucieTheLakie no. I didn’t even apply to either because both had way too many kids from my high school there, plus I never liked Rutgers to begin with. Why does the fact that I attend a different school even matter?
It matters because apparently you have no firsthand knowledge of either school and yet, for some reason, you feel it’s appropriate to claim that one is “definitely better” than the other. How is that helpful to the OP?
I don’t need firsthand knowledge to know that Penn State is a better, more well-respected school in comparison to Rutgers. Penn State can actually attract OOS students.
I was at Rutgers and have been to Penn State many times. I think they are comparable. What you should consider is the quality and reputation of the Department in which you intend to major. For example, if you wanted to major in English or History, Rutgers has Top 20 History and English Departments, Penn State does not. Also, Penn State is in the middle of nowhere in a cute little college town. Rutgers, New Brunswick, is a quick ride to NYC or Philly. Law school placement at Rutgers (at least when I went) was good. I went to Columbia.
New Jersey residents: 86%
http://www.rutgers.edu/about/facts-figures
Pennsylvania Students University-wide 73%
Pennsylvania Students at University Park 62%
http://admissions.psu.edu/apply/statistics/
Meh. Not all that different.