Colorado Mesa vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
Location Grand Junction, CO Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 8,905 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $25,854
Room & Board $11,522 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,085 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 68%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 7,523
Admitted 8,021 7,204
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 95.8%
Enrolled % 21.8% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 21/28
SAT Range 930/1180 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

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 25% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $224 $277

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 77%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 17% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Colorado Mesa Penn State Altoona
% In-State 83% 59%
% Out-of-State 16% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Colorado Mesa University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (8,905 students vs. 2,577 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 86.3% more expensive to attend than Colorado Mesa for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,261.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.6% higher at Penn State Altoona than Colorado Mesa University ($25,854.00 vs. $21,983.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colorado Mesa University than Penn State Altoona ($15,085 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Colorado Mesa University are 12.7% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,522 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Colorado Mesa University than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 4% larger than aid received Colorado Mesa University ($9,574 vs. $9,209)

Colorado Mesa vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colorado Mesa 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 Colorado Mesa .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 41 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

Colorado Mesa vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa 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 Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Colorado Mesa University (65% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $15,300 more per year than Colorado Mesa graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,000)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $5,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($21,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($224 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 48%)

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