Penn State Altoona vs. Longwood University

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

Overview

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
Location Altoona, PA Farmville, VA
Setting Small City Remote Town
Enrollment 2,577 4,358
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #603
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu longwood.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $8,753
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $21,690
Room & Board $12,984 $14,318
Avg Net Price $20,621 $21,772
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $10,332
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 95%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 6,042
Admitted 7,204 5,304
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 87.8%
Enrolled % 12.6% 15%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.59
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1250 1020/1210
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 Longwood University
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 (20%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
Graduation Rate 65% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
% Men 53% 30%
% Women 47% 70%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 75%
% Black 7% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
% In-State 59% 92%
% Out-of-State 35% 5%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Longwood University
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

  • Longwood University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (4,358 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Longwood University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Longwood University?

  • Penn State Altoona is 75.8% more expensive to attend than Longwood University for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,753.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.2% higher at Penn State Altoona than Longwood University ($25,854.00 vs. $21,690.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Longwood University ($20,621 vs. $21,772)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 10.3% lower than costs at Longwood University ($12,984 vs. $14,318)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Longwood University than Penn State Altoona (95% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Longwood University students is 7.9% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($10,332 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Longwood University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 8 points higher than at Longwood University (985)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Longwood University (21)
  • Accepted freshman Longwood University students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Longwood University (87.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Longwood University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Longwood University? 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 Longwood University and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Longwood University (65% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $12,100 more per year than Longwood University graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,200)
  • Longwood University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Longwood University graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Longwood University 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/