GSU- Grambling vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
Location Grambling, LA Altoona, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 5,058 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1020 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gram.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $5,140 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $5,140 $25,854
Room & Board $10,990 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,796 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $8,442 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 68%

Admission

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,732 7,523
Admitted 4,547 7,204
Acceptance Rate 42.4% 95.8%
Enrolled % 18.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.01 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 15/19 21/28
SAT Range 840/990 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

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (15%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 27% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 23% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $37,997 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $392 $277

Diversity

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
% Men 34% 53%
% Women 66% 47%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 1% 77%
% Black 91% 7%
% Hispanic 1% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 4% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 GSU- Grambling Penn State Altoona
% In-State 60% 59%
% Out-of-State 39% 35%

Campus

 GSU- Grambling 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

  • Grambling State University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (5,058 students vs. 2,577 students)

GSU- Grambling vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, GSU- Grambling or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 199.4% more expensive to attend than GSU- Grambling for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,140.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 403% higher at Penn State Altoona than Grambling State University ($25,854.00 vs. $5,140.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Grambling State University than Penn State Altoona ($15,796 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Grambling State University are 18.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,990 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Grambling State University than Penn State Altoona (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 13.4% larger than aid received Grambling State University ($9,574 vs. $8,442)

GSU- Grambling vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, GSU- Grambling 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 GSU- Grambling .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 122 points higher than at GSU- Grambling (871)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at GSU- Grambling (18)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at GSU- Grambling (3.01)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than GSU- Grambling (42.4%)

GSU- Grambling vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, GSU- Grambling 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 GSU- Grambling.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Grambling State University (65% vs. 27%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $22,900 more per year than GSU- Grambling graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $32,400)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $11,179 lower median federal student loan debt than GSU- Grambling graduates. ($26,818 vs. $37,997)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $115 less per month on federal student loans than GSU- Grambling graduates. ($277 vs. $392)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former GSU- Grambling students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 23%)

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