JCU vs. Penn State Altoona

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

JCU Penn State Altoona
Location University Heights, OH Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,922 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #286 #584
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website jcu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

JCU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $45,490 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $45,490 $25,854
Room & Board $13,200 $12,984
Avg Net Price $30,496 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $30,415 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

JCU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,310 7,523
Admitted 3,550 7,204
Acceptance Rate 82.4% 95.8%
Enrolled % 15.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 21/28
SAT Range 1160/1320 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

JCU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

JCU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 71% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $57,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,939 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $278 $277

Diversity

JCU Penn State Altoona
% Men 52% 53%
% Women 48% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 86% 77%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

JCU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 66% 59%
% Out-of-State 34% 35%

Campus

JCU 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

  • John Carroll University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (2,922 students vs. 2,577 students)

JCU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • John Carroll University is 195.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($45,490.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 75.9% higher at JCU than Penn State Altoona ($45,490.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than JCU ($20,621 vs. $30,496)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 1.7% lower than costs at John Carroll University ($12,984 vs. $13,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at John Carroll University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by John Carroll University students is 217.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($30,415 vs. $9,574)

JCU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, JCU 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 JCU .

  • The average SAT score at John Carroll University (1127) is 134 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming JCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman JCU students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than JCU (82.4%)

JCU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, JCU 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 JCU.

  • The graduation rate at JCU is higher than Penn State Altoona (71% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from John Carroll University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($57,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $121 lower median federal student loan debt than JCU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $26,939)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than JCU graduates. ($277 vs. $278)
  • More JCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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