Simon's Rock vs. Penn State Altoona

Should I go to Bard College at Simon's Rock or Penn State Altoona? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Simon's Rock or Penn State Altoona 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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Bard College at Simon's Rock vs. Penn State Altoona comparison
Bard College at Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona College 3 College 4
Bard College at Simon's Rock
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Overview

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
Location Great Barrington, MA Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 298 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website simons-rock.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $61,600 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $61,600 $25,854
Room & Board $17,200 $12,984
Avg Net Price $44,326 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $38,119 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 68%

Admission

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 154 7,523
Admitted 147 7,204
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 95.8%
Enrolled % 63.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1250
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 Jun 1, 2024

Academics

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (65%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (4%)
  • Social Sciences (4%)
  • General Studies (3%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate - 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $149 $277

Diversity

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
% Men 39% 53%
% Women 61% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 54% 77%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 2%
% International 14% 5%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
% In-State 23% 59%
% Out-of-State 61% 35%

Campus

 Simon's Rock Penn State Altoona
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 Simon's Rock based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 298 students)

Simon's Rock vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Simon's Rock or Penn State Altoona?

  • Bard College at Simon's Rock is 300.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($61,600.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 138.3% higher at Simon's Rock than Penn State Altoona ($61,600.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Simon's Rock ($20,621 vs. $44,326)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 32.5% lower than costs at Bard College at Simon's Rock ($12,984 vs. $17,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bard College at Simon's Rock than Penn State Altoona (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bard College at Simon's Rock students is 298.2% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($38,119 vs. $9,574)

Simon's Rock vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Simon's Rock students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Simon's Rock (95.5%)

Simon's Rock vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Simon's Rock or Penn State Altoona? 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 Altoona and Simon's Rock.

  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $15,400 more per year than Simon's Rock graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,900)
  • Bard College at Simon's Rock students graduate with a $12,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($14,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Simon's Rock graduates are paying $128 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($149 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Simon's Rock students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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