Penn State Altoona vs. AU

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or Averett University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or AU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Penn State Berks Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Abington University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State Penn State Mont Alto Greensboro College OSU-Oklahoma City Temple University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Ferrum College
Penn State Altoona vs. Averett University comparison
Penn State Altoona Averett University College 3 College 4
Averett University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Altoona AU
Location Altoona, PA Danville, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 1,363
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #661
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu averett.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona AU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $37,640
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $37,640
Room & Board $12,984 $11,360
Avg Net Price $20,621 $23,781
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $26,246
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona AU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 2,324
Admitted 7,204 1,767
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 76%
Enrolled % 12.6% 14.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.07
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 16/22
SAT Range 1050/1250 850/1170
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

 Penn State Altoona AU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona AU
Graduation Rate 65% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $48,400
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona AU
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 58%
% Black 7% 33%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 5% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Altoona AU
% In-State 59% 46%
% Out-of-State 35% 45%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona AU
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 AU based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,363 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. AU Cost Comparison

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

  • Averett University is 144.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($37,640.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.6% higher at AU than Penn State Altoona ($37,640.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than AU ($20,621 vs. $23,781)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Averett University are 14.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,360 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Averett University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Averett University students is 174.1% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($26,246 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. AU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Altoona or AU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between AU or Penn State Altoona .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 80 points higher than at AU (913)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at AU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at AU (3.07)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than AU (76%)

Penn State Altoona vs. AU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or AU? 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 AU and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Averett University (65% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $6,900 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,400)
  • Averett University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • AU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU 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/