ECU vs. Penn State Altoona

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

ECU Penn State Altoona
Location Greenville, NC Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 27,151 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #673 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $25,854
Room & Board $10,816 $12,984
Avg Net Price $14,410 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $9,020 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 68%

Admission

ECU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,383 7,523
Admitted 19,744 7,204
Acceptance Rate 92.3% 95.8%
Enrolled % 19.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24 21/28
SAT Range 1020/1170 1050/1250
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

ECU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

ECU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 59% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $256 $277

Diversity

ECU Penn State Altoona
% Men 40% 53%
% Women 60% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 77%
% Black 16% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

ECU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 83% 59%
% Out-of-State 15% 35%

Campus

ECU 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

  • East Carolina University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (27,151 students vs. 2,577 students)

ECU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 245.6% more expensive to attend than ECU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $4,452.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.7% higher at Penn State Altoona than East Carolina University ($25,854.00 vs. $20,729.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at East Carolina University than Penn State Altoona ($14,410 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Carolina University are 20% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,816 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than East Carolina University (68% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 6.1% larger than aid received East Carolina University ($9,574 vs. $9,020)

ECU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECU 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 ECU .

  • The average SAT score at East Carolina University (1053) is 60 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming ECU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at ECU (3.33)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than ECU (92.3%)

ECU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU 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 ECU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than East Carolina University (65% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $11,400 more per year than ECU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,900)
  • East Carolina University students graduate with a $2,030 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,788 vs. $26,818)
  • ECU graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($256 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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