Mount Saint Mary College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
Location Newburgh, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,918 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #573 #584
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website msmc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $36,522 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $36,522 $25,854
Room & Board $17,916 $12,984
Avg Net Price $23,439 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $25,237 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 68%

Admission

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,604 7,523
Admitted 2,299 7,204
Acceptance Rate 88.3% 95.8%
Enrolled % 10.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 1075/1225 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

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (16%)
  • History (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 55% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 67% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
% Men 28% 53%
% Women 72% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 77%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 15% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 11% 1%

Students

Mount Saint Mary College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 87% 59%
% Out-of-State 13% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Mount Saint Mary College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,918 students)

Mount Saint Mary College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mount Saint Mary College or Penn State Altoona?

  • Mount Saint Mary College is 137.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($36,522.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.3% higher at Mount Saint Mary College than Penn State Altoona ($36,522.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Mount Saint Mary College ($20,621 vs. $23,439)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 38% lower than costs at Mount Saint Mary College ($12,984 vs. $17,916)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Saint Mary College than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount Saint Mary College students is 163.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($25,237 vs. $9,574)

Mount Saint Mary College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mount Saint Mary College 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 Mount Saint Mary College .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 11 points higher than at Mount Saint Mary College (982)
  • Incoming Mount Saint Mary College students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Mount Saint Mary College (3.3)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Mount Saint Mary College (88.3%)

Mount Saint Mary College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mount Saint Mary College 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 Mount Saint Mary College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Mount Saint Mary College (65% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $6,100 more per year than Mount Saint Mary College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,200)
  • Mount Saint Mary College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Mount Saint Mary College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mount Saint Mary College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 67%)

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