Penn State Altoona vs. BC

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or Bridgewater College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or BC 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 University of Lynchburg Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State Longwood University EMU Penn State Mont Alto JMU OSU-Oklahoma City
Penn State Altoona vs. Bridgewater College comparison
Penn State Altoona Bridgewater College College 3 College 4
Bridgewater College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Altoona BC
Location Altoona, PA Bridgewater, VA
Setting Small City Small Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 1,421
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #676
Religious Affiliation - Church of Brethren - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona BC
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $38,800
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $38,800
Room & Board $12,984 $13,830
Avg Net Price $20,621 $19,332
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $34,142
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 3,402
Admitted 7,204 3,074
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 90.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 13.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 1020/1230
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 May 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Altoona BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona BC
Graduation Rate 65% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona BC
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 73%
% Black 7% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 Penn State Altoona BC
% In-State 59% 73%
% Out-of-State 35% 24%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona BC
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 BC based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,421 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. BC Cost Comparison

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

  • Bridgewater College is 152.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($38,800.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 50.1% higher at BC than Penn State Altoona ($38,800.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater College than Penn State Altoona ($19,332 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 6.5% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($12,984 vs. $13,830)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 256.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($34,142 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bridgewater College (1034) is 41 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming BC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than BC (90.4%)

Penn State Altoona vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Bridgewater College (65% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $12,200 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,100)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More BC 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/