Canisius vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Canisius Penn State Altoona
Location Buffalo, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 2,492 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #376 #584
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website canisius.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Canisius Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $30,180 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $30,180 $25,854
Room & Board $12,158 $12,984
Avg Net Price $19,635 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $21,215 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Canisius Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,131 7,523
Admitted 3,211 7,204
Acceptance Rate 77.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 14.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/28 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1320 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

Academics

Canisius Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Canisius Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 67% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $255 $277

Diversity

Canisius Penn State Altoona
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 77%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 4% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

Canisius Penn State Altoona
% In-State 79% 59%
% Out-of-State 15% 35%

Campus

Canisius 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 Canisius based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,492 students)

Canisius vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Canisius College is 96.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($30,180.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.7% higher at Canisius than Penn State Altoona ($30,180.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Canisius College than Penn State Altoona ($19,635 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Canisius College are 6.8% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,158 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Canisius College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Canisius College students is 121.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($21,215 vs. $9,574)

Canisius vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Canisius 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 Canisius .

  • The average SAT score at Canisius College (1078) is 85 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Canisius students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Canisius students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Canisius (77.7%)

Canisius vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Canisius 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 Canisius.

  • The graduation rate at Canisius is higher than Penn State Altoona (67% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $5,400 more per year than Canisius graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,900)
  • Canisius College students graduate with a $2,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Canisius graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($255 vs. $277)
  • More Canisius graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 69%)

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