Penn State Altoona vs. Hollins College

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

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
Location Altoona, PA Roanoke, VA
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 803
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu hollins.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $40,350
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $40,350
Room & Board $12,984 $14,960
Avg Net Price $20,621 $21,207
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $35,635
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 3,275
Admitted 7,204 2,371
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 72.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.76
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 25/30
SAT Range 1050/1250 1113/1298
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 Hollins College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • English and Literature (23%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (19%)
  • (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
Graduation Rate 65% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $35,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
% Men 53% 4%
% Women 47% 96%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 64%
% Black 7% 12%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
% In-State 59% 54%
% Out-of-State 35% 40%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Hollins College
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 Hollins College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 803 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Hollins College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Hollins College?

  • Hollins University is 162.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($40,350.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.1% higher at Hollins College than Penn State Altoona ($40,350.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Hollins College ($20,621 vs. $21,207)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 15.2% lower than costs at Hollins University ($12,984 vs. $14,960)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hollins University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hollins University students is 272.2% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($35,635 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Hollins College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Hollins University (1124) is 131 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Hollins College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Hollins College students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Hollins College (72.4%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Hollins College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Hollins College? 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 Hollins College and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Hollins University (65% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $19,700 more per year than Hollins College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $35,600)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Hollins College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Hollins College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Hollins College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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