Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Mont Alto

Should I go to Mercyhurst College or Penn State Mont Alto? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mercyhurst College or Penn State Mont Alto is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Mont Alto comparison
Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Location Erie, PA Mont Alto, PA
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,801 670
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $23,086
Room & Board $14,025 $12,254
Avg Net Price $24,935 $19,838
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $9,124
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 79%

Admission

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 678
Admitted 2,920 619
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 91.3%
Enrolled % 18.7% 30.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1020/1230
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Graduation Rate 68% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $276 $277

Diversity

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
% Men 40% 41%
% Women 60% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 80%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 2% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
% In-State 51% 76%
% Out-of-State 45% 24%

Campus

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Mont Alto
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 670 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Mont Alto?

  • Mercyhurst College is 193.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Mont Alto for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 75.6% higher at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Mont Alto ($40,530.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Mont Alto than Mercyhurst College ($19,838 vs. $24,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Mont Alto are 14.5% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($12,254 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Mont Alto (95% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 255.3% larger than aid received Penn State Mont Alto ($32,418 vs. $9,124)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Mont Alto? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Mont Alto or Mercyhurst College .

  • Penn State Mont Alto has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Mont Alto? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State Mont Alto and Mercyhurst College.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (68% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Mont Alto earn on average $11,600 more per year than Mercyhurst College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,700)
  • Mercyhurst College students graduate with a $120 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($26,698 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercyhurst College graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($276 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Mont Alto graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/