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Harper Poll: Pennsylvanians Select PSU as Most Respected University

Nittany-Lion-mascotDespite its recent troubles, it appears PSU is still the state’s most popular and highly-considered college.

In its most recent “Our Commonwealth” Poll, Harper Polling asked participants which university they respected the most. Respondents were given the options of Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, or Villanova University.

Penn State was selected most often, with 24% of participants claiming they respected the university the most. The University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University tied for second with 17% each.

Each university tended to have a higher percentage of selections in its own region. Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, for example, claimed about 60% of the vote in the Philadelphia/Southwest region. Similarly, residents of the Pittsburgh/Southwest region highly favor Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh. Regardless, Penn State found high support across all regions.

Less discrepancy existed across party lines, though Democrats tended to more heavily favor both the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University than Republicans. PSU, however, was still the number one choice for Democrats.

Meanwhile, African Americans overwhelmingly favored Temple University (27%), closely followed by the University of Pennsylvania (21%). The overlap in preference between Democrats and African Americans is not surprising, given Temple and UPenn’s location in the city of Philadelphia.

The sample size for the survey is 568 and the margin of error is +/-4.11%. The survey was conducted June 25-26 by Interactive Voice Response (IVR) automated telephone.

Harper Polling is a nationally-recognized Republican polling company that explores public attitudes impacting strategic decision-making in politics and public affairs.

52 Responses

  1. Lies, damned lies, and statistics…
    You probably thought the economy in ’99 sucked because the growth rate slowed.

    http://onwardstate.com/2013/10/24/penn-state-football-graduation-rates-soar-above-national-average/
    “As for Penn State football, the numbers were predictably stellar. The football team’s GSR of 85 percent was second in the Big Ten and 15 percentage points higher than the Division 1 and FBS average. That number is slightly down from last report’s record setting 91 percent GSR, but it is still an incredible figure.”

    Way to henpeck. Black as coal heart.

  2. What?-
    onwardstate.com/2014/05/16/football-teams-apr-last-in-big-ten/
    “Penn State football’s Academic Progress Rate dipped to the bottom of the Big Ten during the 2012-2013 school year extending the downward trend to five years, according to data released by the NCAA. The Nittany Lions clocked in at 954 this year — three points above the national average, but seven points lower than last year’s 961 mark, which then placed them sixth in the Big Ten”

    Unsanctioned R-
    No chip. Just defending myself against attacks and setting the record straight.

  3. “Paterno didn’t implement a culture of academics.”

    My first-hand experience tells me that you’re an ignoramus. Smart maybe, but not wise. Troll.

    Others may think your head is broken, but I think the totality of your comments point to your heart.

  4. Michael-
    1) I don’t spend most of my day posting, though you and many others seem to spend a lot of time responding.

    2) I’ve been referring to myself as a political gadfly for years. I’m looking forward to someday being an 80 or 90 year old gadfly. Then I can really get away with saying stuff.

    3) I’m not so much “claiming” high intelligence, but rather pointing out facts to counter foolish claims that I’m not. Particularly claims from anonymous people without any background, credentials, nor indication they even comprehend the issues.

    4) My academic paper trail is filled with 99th percentile scores, Ivy League undergrad, and two Masters from Villanova, coupled with a successful work career designing/fixing custom software for private companies. So, you can debate me on the issues, or the relative merits of various arguments, or predictions, but you’re wasting your time questioning my intelligence. You’d have better luck convincing people the sky wasn’t blue. 🙂

  5. jjcnpa

    So, by saying that PSU has changed are you withdrawing your previous attacks against my factual claims of being offered admission? I never sent them my scores or an application. I don’t doubt they were looking for and trying to recruit academically strong students to bolster their image/reputation back then. So, you are really just backing up my story.

    “culture of success and academics that Joe Paterno and others implemented in college athletics”
    Paterno didn’t implement a culture of academics. When this whole incident hit the fan and there was talk of pulling the plug on TV coverage, there were PSU football recruits talking about trying to switch their scholarships to different schools. This proves that they were NOT there for PSU’s academics or an education, but for football fame.

    As for Paterno’s “ivy league” education:
    1) He went to Brown (the dregs of the Ivy League)
    2) He went there as a football player.
    3) He had his tuition paid for by wealthy alumnus Everett Arnold.
    (Maybe, Joe had his own Sandusky?)
    4) He went to an Ivy League school and came out a football coach.
    5) Paterno has quoted what his own father said upon hearing the news that young Joe wanted to be a football coach instead of a lawyer. “For God’s sake, what did you go to college for?”

    Carl-
    LOL.

  6. yeah they leave with good grades successful careers and an airtight non-disclosure agreement

  7. David, most of the athletes and cheerleaders at PSU graduate with good grades go on to have very successful careers. Thanks to the culture of success and academics that Joe Paterno and others implemented in college athletics, you know Joepa, the Ivy League graduate who would translate Virgil’s “Aeneid” from latin to english in his spare time.

  8. jjcnpa — David Diano is a 50-year-old self-described “gadfly.” That about sums it up. For all his claims to intelligence, look at how little he has accomplished. He spends most of every day posting bombastic and usually childish comments on a political web site.

  9. Oh my gosh David says he graduated 34 years ago from high school and is talking about kids in his high school using PSU as a safety school. Yes back in the 70’s and 80’s it was easy to be accepted into PSU. That changed dramatically beginning in the 90’s and it is difficult now to get into Univ Park compared to back then. Penn State went from being just another state school to being a national university that receives more unsolicited SAT scores than any other university in the country. The demographic population at University Park has changed. Unfortunately it is much more affluent (big decrease in percentage receiving pell grants) and out of state than it used to be. I say unfortunate because it is a land grant university dedicated to educating the people of the commonwealth. Now it is basically a private university. The less affluent and less academically talented students go to the branch campuses.I worked for PSU for 14 yers and have intimate knowledge of the admission process so I know what I am talking about. It also can begin to offer more scholarships thanks to the recent $2.2 billion raised in the capital campaign but it has a way to go. It just is a much different university than 34 years ago lol!

  10. Stephen Thorpe-
    I was just counter claims that I had any “jealousy” regarding PSU, since I had been accepted and rejected it a year before I got accepted to Ivy-level schools.
    PSU is pretty much a “safety school”. One of my high school friends (two grades behind) went to PSU for two years, and then used high grades to upgrade to Cornell as a transfer student for the final two years. At the time, one year at Cornell probably cost 3 or 4 years at PSU, so it was a huge savings in tuition costs to finish a better degree.
    I agree with your statement that it doesn’t deserve the top spot.

    jjcnpa-
    “The mission of PSU is first and foremost” … football

    (and giving the jocks and cheerleaders the 4 more years of high school they need to function in society)

  11. The poll question was which institution is most respected. From its agricultural research (and state-wide extension centers) to global climate change, food science and nutirion among many others, PSU’s research contributes to the betterment of society. Bucknell, CMU and Penn are more prestigious. That wasn’t the question. The mission of PSU is first and foremost research. This is different from many liberal arts colleges.

  12. Look everyone! David needs to provide us with the contents of his college application to remind us how smart he is! No way that David has any bias on this matter, because he has all of the proper credentials to prove there is only one correct opinion! If it makes you feel accomplished to troll every thread and “enlighten” us, go right ahead. As for this poll, Penn State is a fine institution, but not worthy of the top spot.

  13. jjcnpa-
    My SAT scores were in the same ballpark (1380), but I took them late in my junior year, so I don’t know if PSU had them at the time of the offer. (It was 34 years ago, and don’t remember the dates of my SAT vs the arrival of the offer letter.) I also had a 4.0 average, so they may have gotten my data from my school as part of their recruitment process.

    At the time, I was also National Merit Finalist based on my PSAT scores, and was getting all sorts of mail from colleges. So, I’m making the assumption/guess that it was the PSAT scores got me on the PSU radar, since it put me on the radar of other schools, and the PSAT definitely preceded the offer by many months.

    Sorry that my 16-year old self didn’t have the foresight to preserve the offer letter for you for 34 years, for a college I wasn’t interested in. I’ll add it to my “to-do” list if I ever get my hands on a time-machine.

  14. Man of the people-

    Who ever said I cared what people think of me?

    I’m just razzing the PSU crowd (Paterno-Sandusky-Uniformity) who think PSU is good school because they are football fans.

  15. oops I made an error. David said PSU offered him admission based on his psat scores not sat scores, lol that is even funnier. I am sure with David’s superior intellect (on paper via his psat’s) he was recruited by PSU but unless you apply you aren’t offered admission or guaranteed admission.

  16. Yes you got an invite to apply to the psu campus that wasn’t the same as an offer of admission. I can also tell you that a 1440 sat score does not guarantee anyone admission to Penn State. You have to apply and have your high school official transcripts reviewed.

  17. It shouldn’t surprise anyone then that so much climate research is done at PSU. One more reason for David to be a skeptic.

  18. David’s words are another good example of what I was saying about IQ vs. EQ. Doubtful he even understands that his words make people think less of him. It’s a frontal lobe problem.

  19. jjcnpa-
    Sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s what happened. I had gotten a 1440 out of 1600 score on my PSATs (770 math/670 english) and it might have been the highest score at my school that year. I got the invite to PSU in my junior year, six months before I had even started applying to colleges. That summer, I was in a NSF (national science foundation) program at WVU, and my parents decided I should at least see PSU before I rejected it. So, before dropping me off for the summer, they took a detour to PSU’s campus. I wasn’t impressed.

    Carl – LOL. With these guys, I’m guessing it was often.

    Unsanctioned R-
    The poll just reinforces how PSU grads have a distorted view of their relative academic merits.

  20. Interesting that this poll was taken post Sandusky. That’s gotta burn up in the ivory tower.

  21. You’re the reason why your average respondent doesn’t respect Cornell, UPenn and Johns Hopkins. Keep it up.

  22. David, your immaturity and narrow-mindedness is amazing. And no you weren’t offered admission to PSU without applying. I KNOW that doesn’t happen. At the very least, PSU wants an application fee before saying yes. I actually feel sorry for you. You seem like a lonely guy. Have many cats?

  23. jjcnpa and “Read um and weep”-

    I got accepted to Cornell, UPenn and Johns Hopkins.
    But, without even applying, I was offered admittance to PSU because of my academics. I didn’t bother considering it, as I wanted to get a real education with my academic peers.

    I wouldn’t consider hiring someone from Penn State unless it was for gardening, or coaching a little league team, moving furniture, clerical work, or possibly for Engineering, since they do have a decent engineering program.

    I knew one smart guy from high school, who did go to PSU for math/sci/engineering ( but who belonged in an Ivy League school). He got a full paid scholarship, so he got to go for free. For free, PSU is an okay pick.

  24. Yes bitter people with no friends don’t like PSU. Some of them are even bad political analysts too even though they claim otherwise.

  25. University Park is extremely competitive and difficult to get into, I know I work for PSU. Penn State is primarily a private university with only 7% of its operating budget being supported by the state. Penn State graduates are the most prepared to work in the real world according to the Fortune 500 companies. I would take any Big 10 graduate over an ivy leaguer who got where they are because of legacy (e.g. GW Bush and AlGore both of whom are not very smart). http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704358904575477643369663352

  26. David is just jealous. Larry is upset that he’s never been popular. Sorry boys, but the folks look down on others who think they’re better than everyone else. Just be happy you’re now a minority class.

  27. JohnRM –
    So much nonsense to unravel:
    1) in your link to rankings, University of Pennsylvania was ranked 16th, with PSU ranked 49th. This is why the poll ranking PSU over UPenn is so ridiculous.

    2) PSU does have a decent engineering program, because the jocks and cheerleaders that make up the rest of student body can’t qualify for those courses. (And, UPenn is ranked higher than PSU in that second list you linked to).

    3) THON is a three day dance marathon (at a party school with a large student population in the middle of f*cking nowhere) in February where it’s too cold to go outside and football season is over. Hardly impressive or a reason to rank the school high for a big party, even if it’s one that helps charity. It’s not a “reason” to attend there.

    4) “several hundred thousand graduates who are proud to have come through PSU” BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T GRADUATE FROM A GOOD COLLEGE. Let’s face it: Penn State is just a big high school, but without the students living with their parents.

    5) “These are people that, by and large, are better because of it” Yes, 4 more years of high school helps them.

    But, my point here is not to cut up PSU, but to point out that ranking it above UPenn and CMU just completely misses the point.

    Now, if the survey was: Which school is more fun to attend? or Which school do you “like” best? then PSU could be legitimately ranked #1. But, to claim it’s more “respected” than UPenn is just silly.

  28. Professor at Penn State here. Yes, we’re a fine school, and very respected among employers (extremely good placement rates).
    But, neither our research output nor the quality of incoming students or graduates compares favorably with elite institutions such as CMU or UPenn. At the undergraduate level, that cannot be the mission of a land-grant university, especially not that of the branch campuses, which provide accessible and thorough education to a broader audience.

    What does this “survey” say? Nothing, at least nothing interesting. Penn State is mentioned more often in the media, and there are way more students here than anywhere else. This leads to the responses you’re seeing. Most respondents have no sensible way of judging the quality of anyone’s research or education. I’d say forget about this and move on.

  29. BJ, I think the point here is how PA’s universities are viewed. I take it you disagree with the plurality.

  30. Independently wealthy.
    Sounds like I pegged you though. Call me when you need a loan. Btw, I’m sure your employees love you.
    (Sometimes I struggle with arrogance too. It’s tough to break, but the ones who don’t try really get under my skin.)

  31. JohnRM – Never said Penn State wasn’t a good school. It’s one of the better public universities in the country. But it’s nowhere near the level of Penn or CMU. That is the point here.

  32. Man of the People, you mean “the kind of person” who is your boss? Yes, I am.

  33. Larry,
    When I graduated my magnet high school I was so glad to leave behind all the aholes with high IQ but 0 EQ. You sound just like the kind of person respondents were thinking about when rating the ivies.

  34. JohnRM,

    You seem pretty butthurt. PSU is not a bad school, but it’s just a generic land grant Big 10 university. PSU is not on the same level as the Ivies. It’s not on the same level as the Dukes, Notre Dames, or Georgetowns of the world. It’s a university for those with average intelligence.

  35. I don’t think that there is any debate that PSU is a great school, I think that some are just trying to make the point that Penn and CMU do not always seem to get the recognition within the commonwealth that they do nationally.

  36. BJ,

    I am not here to argue that one Pennsylvania school is better than another. I am here, because some people insist that Penn State only knows football. Penn State is a damn fine school, but these people are either too stupid to do their research or don’t want to because they like lying to themselves.

  37. What really bothers me about all of this is that Penn State is more than just a few guys in some scandal. There are tens of thousands of kids in school and several hundred thousand graduates who are proud to have come through PSU. These are people that, by and large, are better because of it and make their communities a better place. Yet, you paint and stereotype all of us with a broad brush.

    But, hey, have at it. You obviously don’t have any ambition whatsoever or you are very good at hiding your contempt for all of us behind your computer monitor, cause you sure as hell can’t take this attitude out in public and achieve anything with it.

  38. JohnRM – Did you notice that all 3 sets of those rankings you link to ranked Penn and Carnegie Mellon higher than Penn State?

  39. Penn State was ranked #1 by corporate recruiters in a Wall Street Journal article.

    Penn State University was recently ranked the 49th best overall university in the world by Times Higher Education.
    http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/world-ranking

    Ranked 54th by Academic Ranking of World Universities.
    http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2013.html

    25th (USA) for best engineering school.
    http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings

    Penn State’s THON is the WORLD’s largest student-run philanthropic organization.

    So, yea, keep lying to yourself about what Penn State is about, but you just end up looking like a moron.

  40. They also have the most successful rapist in college football. Does Penn have THAT?

  41. Yea BJ, like having the largest student run philanthropic organization in the world which has raised millions for pediatric cancer. Sucks to suck. We win…..again.

  42. People are bound to vote for where they went to college. Penn State has the most alums, thus the result

  43. When you have a diploma mill like PSU pumping out hundreds of thousands of graduates, it’s not surprising that a poll would look like this. What’s distressing is that many PSU grads actually believe it.

  44. I’m guessing anyone who places Penn State above CMU and Penn is unaware that colleges do things other than play football.

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