Hood vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Hood Penn State Altoona
Location Frederick, MD Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,056 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hood.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Hood Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $43,800 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $43,800 $25,854
Room & Board $13,600 $12,984
Avg Net Price $23,624 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $34,047 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Hood Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,000 7,523
Admitted 2,336 7,204
Acceptance Rate 77.9% 95.8%
Enrolled % 12.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 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 considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2024

Academics

Hood Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Hood Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 68% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Hood Penn State Altoona
% Men 35% 53%
% Women 65% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 63% 77%
% Black 12% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

Hood Penn State Altoona
% In-State 70% 59%
% Out-of-State 29% 35%

Campus

Hood 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 Hood based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,056 students)

Hood vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Hood College is 184.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($43,800.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 69.4% higher at Hood than Penn State Altoona ($43,800.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Hood ($20,621 vs. $23,624)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 4.7% lower than costs at Hood College ($12,984 vs. $13,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hood College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hood College students is 255.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($34,047 vs. $9,574)

Hood vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Hood 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 Hood .

  • Accepted freshman Hood students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Hood (77.9%)

Hood vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Hood 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 Hood.

  • The graduation rate at Hood is higher than Penn State Altoona (68% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $8,000 more per year than Hood graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,300)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Hood graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Hood graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Hood graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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