<p>Penn State is ranked higher for Computer Science than NCSU. Best</a> Computer Science Programs | Top Computer Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools</p>
<p>This does not even make sense </p>
<p>NC State just didn’t think you would be as much of a fit as Penn State did.</p>
<p>[College</a> Navigator - North Carolina State University at Raleigh](<a href=“College Navigator - North Carolina State University at Raleigh”>College Navigator - North Carolina State University at Raleigh)
[College</a> Navigator - Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](<a href=“College Navigator - Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus”>College Navigator - Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus)</p>
<p>I am not sure these links will work, but it looks like Penn State has 700+ spaces in CS, while NCSU has about 128. I could be wrong, but this is how I am reading it. There are more spaces in one program and if NCSU attracts more in-state students, it could be highly competitive to get into for NC residents. Not sure if you are from NC, but this could be why you were accepted at one and not the other.</p>
<p>It is not necessarily true that the higher ranked school is more selective for a given major, in the case of schools where admission selectivity varies by major.</p>
<p>NCSU may simply have more applications for CS relative to its CS capacity than Penn State does. NCSU’s relatively low out-of-state cost of attendance may have something to do with it. The schools may also have varying policies on in-state versus out-of-state admissions selectivity (which is likely relevant since you are likely out-of-state for one or both of them).</p>