Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State

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

Penn State Altoona Penn State
Location Altoona, PA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Penn State
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $35,946
Room & Board $12,984 $12,744
Avg Net Price $20,621 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 44%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 85,784
Admitted 7,204 47,360
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 55.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 26/31
SAT Range 1050/1250 1210/1390
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 Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Penn State
Graduation Rate 65% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $277 $277

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Penn State
% Men 53% 53%
% Women 47% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Altoona Penn State
% In-State 59% 51%
% Out-of-State 35% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 19.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39% higher at Penn State than Penn State Altoona ($35,946.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Penn State ($20,621 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 1.9% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,744 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Penn State Main Campus (68% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 5.1% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($10,066 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 209 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Altoona and Penn State have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Altoona graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Altoona graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Altoona graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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