IPFW vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
Location Fort Wayne, IN Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 9,069 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #848 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ipfw.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,815 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $20,403 $25,854
Room & Board $10,111 $12,984
Avg Net Price $11,951 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $7,432 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,853 7,523
Admitted 4,721 7,204
Acceptance Rate 80.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 25.6% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 21/28
SAT Range 980/1210 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 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 26% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $253 $277

Diversity

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
% Men 48% 53%
% Women 52% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 77%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 IPFW Penn State Altoona
% In-State 85% 59%
% Out-of-State 11% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (9,069 students vs. 2,577 students)

IPFW vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 96.9% more expensive to attend than IPFW for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,815.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.7% higher at Penn State Altoona than Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne ($25,854.00 vs. $20,403.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne than Penn State Altoona ($11,951 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne are 28.4% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,111 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 28.8% larger than aid received Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne ($9,574 vs. $7,432)

IPFW vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IPFW 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 IPFW .

  • The average SAT score at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (995) is 2 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming IPFW students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at IPFW (3.37)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than IPFW (80.7%)

IPFW vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IPFW 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 IPFW.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (65% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $16,700 more per year than IPFW graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $38,600)
  • Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne students graduate with a $2,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,500 vs. $26,818)
  • IPFW graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($253 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IPFW students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 51%)

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