FSW vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 FSW Penn State Altoona
Location Fort Myers, FL Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 14,326 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website edison.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 FSW Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $2,436 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $9,750 $25,854
Room & Board $10,044 $12,984
Avg Net Price $7,792 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $5,728 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 68%

Admission

 FSW Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 7,523
Admitted - 7,204
Acceptance Rate Open 95.8%
Enrolled % Open 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.06 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)
Application Deadline

Academics

 FSW Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (5%)
  • Education (4%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 FSW Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate - 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 43% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $9,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $93 $277

Diversity

 FSW Penn State Altoona
% Men 36% 53%
% Women 64% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 51% 77%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 28% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 FSW Penn State Altoona
% In-State 92% 59%
% Out-of-State 0% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Florida SouthWestern State College is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (14,326 students vs. 2,577 students)

FSW vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 531.7% more expensive to attend than FSW for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $2,436.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 165.2% higher at Penn State Altoona than Florida SouthWestern State College ($25,854.00 vs. $9,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida SouthWestern State College than Penn State Altoona ($7,792 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida SouthWestern State College are 29.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,044 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida SouthWestern State College than Penn State Altoona (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 67.1% larger than aid received Florida SouthWestern State College ($9,574 vs. $5,728)

Which college is harder to get into, FSW 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 FSW .

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at FSW (3.06)

FSW vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FSW 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 FSW.

  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $17,900 more per year than FSW graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,400)
  • Florida SouthWestern State College students graduate with a $17,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($9,000 vs. $26,818)
  • FSW graduates are paying $184 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($93 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FSW students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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