Cost of living in Philly or Penn State University area expensive ? .... and other questions as well?

Penn State's main campus is in State College, which is a good 3 1/2 hour drive from Philly. State College is near the dead center of the state while Philly is in the southeastern corner. The two are very different places. Mass transit in State College exists but isn't very good. You'll definitely want a car or you'll be stuck to a very small area.

I'm a Penn State student at Abington, to tell you the truth i'm living with my parents still so i don't know alot of how it will cost you for an apartment, but my guess is that it might be cheaper here in Philly than in State College. If you stay here i would suggest living in the northeast section of the city, it's less dangerous there. Also, at Penn State Abington, they have two school buses to pick up and drop the students off at a certain locations, to and from the campus into Philly free of charge. The people are friendly here, but there might be some who are not.

Penn State is a great place to live. I wouldn't say there is a lot of diversity when compared to a major city like Philly. It is cheaper to live at Penn State vs. Philly. The drawback being, there is not as much job opportunity. Of course all this depends on the type of work for which you are looking. State College is a safer environment than Philly, but I've never had a problem in Philly, personally. I've worked in various parts of the city many times over the course of the last couple years. As for transportation, the major city has a more far reaching system. I love PSU and all it has to offer, but unless you are planning to be eternally linked to University activities, I would suggest growing roots in a larger market. Surrounding suburbs of Philly offer easy access to Center City, if urban living isn't your thing. Philly has many great universities within the metro area if you seek a graduate degree.

The main campus is a lost cause I think, and an island of civilization in the middle of nowhere. I've heard it's a good time, but it's literally a world away from what it's like to live in a major city. I partied at a college nearby once, and the party was over at 11pm on a Friday night because everyone was a farmer and needed to get up the next morning. It's also a good 4 hours outside of Center City, Philadelphia. They do have satellite campuses as well though. $2,000 a month should be good, unless that's what you're talking about for EVERYTHING. In terms of rent, $2,000 a month will get a single person a great apartment AND pay for the utilities. Transportation within the city isn't bad, but the 'burbs can be hit or miss. If you're going to be outside of the city, I highly recommend looking into the SEPTA maps to figure out your closest options. (www.septa.org) Within the city, there's plenty...subways, trolleys, buses and cabs. Regular fare is about $2 for SEPTA, and cabs start at $2.70.