Alma College vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Alma College or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Alma College 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.

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Alma College vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Alma College Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Alma College
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Overview

Alma College Penn State Beaver
Location Alma, MI Monaca, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,260 522
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website alma.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Alma College Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $45,346 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $45,346 $23,086
Room & Board $12,624 $12,254
Avg Net Price $23,995 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $34,736 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 87%

Admission

Alma College Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,372 1,707
Admitted 2,180 1,591
Acceptance Rate 64.7% 93.2%
Enrolled % 15.3% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/28
SAT Range 1050/1260
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

Alma College Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Biology (15%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

Alma College Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 67% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Alma College Penn State Beaver
% Men 47% 55%
% Women 53% 45%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 75%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

Alma College Penn State Beaver
% In-State 90% 63%
% Out-of-State 6% 34%

Campus

Alma College 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

  • Alma College is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (1,260 students vs. 522 students)

Alma College vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Alma College or Penn State Beaver?

  • Alma College is 228% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($45,346.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 96.4% higher at Alma College than Penn State Beaver ($45,346.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Alma College ($18,113 vs. $23,995)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 3% lower than costs at Alma College ($12,254 vs. $12,624)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Alma College than Penn State Beaver (100% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Alma College students is 274.6% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($34,736 vs. $9,274)

Alma College vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Alma College 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 Alma College .

  • The average SAT score at Alma College (1110) is 111 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming Alma College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than Alma College (64.7%)

Alma College vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Alma College 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 Alma College.

  • The graduation rate at Alma College is higher than Penn State Beaver (67% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $7,000 more per year than Alma College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,300)
  • Penn State Beaver students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Alma College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Beaver graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Alma College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Alma College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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