Chatham vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Chatham Penn State Altoona
Location Pittsburgh, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 2,387 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #288 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website chatham.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Chatham Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $40,625 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $40,625 $25,854
Room & Board $12,719 $12,984
Avg Net Price $28,322 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $27,330 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Chatham Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,514 7,523
Admitted 2,331 7,204
Acceptance Rate 66.3% 95.8%
Enrolled % 13.1% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/29 21/28
SAT Range 1060/1270 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

Chatham Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Chatham Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 60% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $211 $277

Diversity

Chatham Penn State Altoona
% Men 25% 53%
% Women 75% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 77%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

Chatham Penn State Altoona
% In-State 70% 59%
% Out-of-State 26% 35%

Campus

Chatham 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 Chatham based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,387 students)

Chatham vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Chatham University is 164% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($40,625.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 57.1% higher at Chatham than Penn State Altoona ($40,625.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Chatham ($20,621 vs. $28,322)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Chatham University are 2.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,719 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Chatham University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Chatham University students is 185.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($27,330 vs. $9,574)

Chatham vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Chatham 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 Chatham .

  • Accepted freshman Chatham students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Chatham (66.3%)

Chatham vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Chatham 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 Chatham.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Chatham University (65% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $18,600 more per year than Chatham graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $36,700)
  • Chatham University students graduate with a $6,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Chatham graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($211 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Chatham students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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