Mercy vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
Location Dobbs Ferry, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 8,615 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #843 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercy.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $20,518 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $20,518 $25,854
Room & Board $14,200 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,879 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $14,789 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 68%

Admission

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,891 7,523
Admitted 6,775 7,204
Acceptance Rate 85.9% 95.8%
Enrolled % 13.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/25 21/28
SAT Range 1020/1230 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

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 31% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,699 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $245 $277

Diversity

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
% Men 28% 53%
% Women 72% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 27% 77%
% Black 23% 7%
% Hispanic 35% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 Mercy Penn State Altoona
% In-State 88% 59%
% Out-of-State 9% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mercy College is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (8,615 students vs. 2,577 students)

Mercy vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Mercy College is 33.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($20,518.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26% higher at Penn State Altoona than Mercy College ($25,854.00 vs. $20,518.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mercy College than Penn State Altoona ($15,879 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 9.4% lower than costs at Mercy College ($12,984 vs. $14,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercy College than Penn State Altoona (97% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercy College students is 54.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($14,789 vs. $9,574)

Mercy vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mercy 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 Mercy .

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Mercy (3.19)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Mercy (85.9%)

Mercy vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercy 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 Mercy.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Mercy College (65% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $13,100 more per year than Mercy graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,200)
  • Mercy College students graduate with a $3,119 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,699 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercy graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($245 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercy students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 40%)

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