Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or Penn State Beaver 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Penn State Berks Penn State Harrisburg University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Abington University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State TU Cleveland State Penn State Mont Alto Kent State OSU-Oklahoma City
Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Location Altoona, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $23,086
Room & Board $12,984 $12,254
Avg Net Price $20,621 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 87%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 1,707
Admitted 7,204 1,591
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 93.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 20/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 1050/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 65% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $277 $277

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
% Men 53% 55%
% Women 47% 45%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 75%
% Black 7% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
% In-State 59% 63%
% Out-of-State 35% 34%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Penn State Beaver
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 522 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Penn State Beaver?

  • Penn State Altoona is 11.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12% higher at Penn State Altoona than Penn State Beaver ($25,854.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Penn State Altoona ($18,113 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 6% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,254 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 3.2% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($9,574 vs. $9,274)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Beaver (999) is 6 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Penn State Beaver (93.2%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Penn State Beaver (65% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Altoona and Penn State Beaver have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Beaver and Penn State Altoona graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Beaver and Penn State Altoona graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Beaver and Penn State Altoona graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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