Penn State Altoona vs. ETSU

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

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
Location Altoona, PA Johnson City, TN
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 13,483
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #652
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu etsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,722
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $11,532
Room & Board $12,984 $9,613
Avg Net Price $20,621 $14,350
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $8,739
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 9,609
Admitted 7,204 8,193
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 85.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.33
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 19/26
SAT Range 1050/1250 980/1190
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 ETSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
Graduation Rate 65% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $40,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $211

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
% Men 53% 37%
% Women 47% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 82%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Altoona ETSU
% In-State 59% 75%
% Out-of-State 35% 23%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • East Tennessee State University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (13,483 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. ETSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 99.3% more expensive to attend than ETSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,722.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 124.2% higher at Penn State Altoona than East Tennessee State University ($25,854.00 vs. $11,532.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at East Tennessee State University than Penn State Altoona ($14,350 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Tennessee State University are 35.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($9,613 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at East Tennessee State University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 9.6% larger than aid received East Tennessee State University ($9,574 vs. $8,739)

Penn State Altoona vs. ETSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at East Tennessee State University (1068) is 75 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming ETSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at ETSU (3.33)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than ETSU (85.3%)

Penn State Altoona vs. ETSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than East Tennessee State University (65% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $15,300 more per year than ETSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,000)
  • East Tennessee State University students graduate with a $6,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,500 vs. $26,818)
  • ETSU graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($211 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ETSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 50%)

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