MHC vs. Penn State Altoona

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

MHC Penn State Altoona
Location South Hadley, MA Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,392 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #85 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MHC Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $58,280 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $58,280 $25,854
Room & Board $17,180 $12,984
Avg Net Price $35,765 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $39,304 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 68%

Admission

MHC Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,894 7,523
Admitted 1,946 7,204
Acceptance Rate 39.8% 95.8%
Enrolled % 28% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 30/34 21/28
SAT Range 1350/1540 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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

MHC Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

MHC Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 85% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,206 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $219 $277

Diversity

MHC Penn State Altoona
% Men 1% 53%
% Women 99% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 45% 77%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 26% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

MHC Penn State Altoona
% In-State 16% 59%
% Out-of-State 60% 35%

Campus

MHC 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 MHC based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,392 students)

MHC vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Mount Holyoke College is 278.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($58,280.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 125.4% higher at MHC than Penn State Altoona ($58,280.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than MHC ($20,621 vs. $35,765)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 32.3% lower than costs at Mount Holyoke College ($12,984 vs. $17,180)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Holyoke College than Penn State Altoona (80% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Holyoke College students is 310.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($39,304 vs. $9,574)

MHC vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MHC 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 MHC .

  • Accepted freshman MHC students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than MHC (39.8%)

MHC vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MHC 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 MHC.

  • The graduation rate at MHC is higher than Penn State Altoona (85% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $5,300 more per year than MHC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,000)
  • Mount Holyoke College students graduate with a $5,612 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($21,206 vs. $26,818)
  • MHC graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($219 vs. $277)
  • More MHC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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