Penn State Altoona vs. Fairmont State

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

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
Location Altoona, PA Fairmont, WV
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,577 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $15,638
Room & Board $12,984 $10,022
Avg Net Price $20,621 $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 94%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 1,926
Admitted 7,204 1,897
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 98.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 37%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 18/23
SAT Range 1050/1250 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
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%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 65% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $227

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
% Men 53% 41%
% Women 47% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 86%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Fairmont State
% In-State 59% 88%
% Out-of-State 35% 11%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Fairmont State University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,498 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 155.5% more expensive to attend than Fairmont State for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $6,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than Fairmont State University ($25,854.00 vs. $15,638.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than Penn State Altoona ($10,794 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 29.6% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,022 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairmont State University than Penn State Altoona (94% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 46.2% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($9,574 vs. $6,547)

Penn State Altoona vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 31 points higher than at Fairmont State (962)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Fairmont State (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Fairmont State (3.36)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (98.5%) than Penn State Altoona (95.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Fairmont State University (65% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $17,700 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fairmont State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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