Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Berks

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

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
Location Altoona, PA Reading, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,577 2,077
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $25,854
Room & Board $12,984 $14,334
Avg Net Price $20,621 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 66%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 5,605
Admitted 7,204 5,453
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 97.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 1090/1290
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 Berks
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 (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 65% 55%
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 Berks
% Men 53% 59%
% Women 47% 41%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 68%
% Black 7% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
% In-State 59% 64%
% Out-of-State 35% 30%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Penn State Berks
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 Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona and Penn State Berks cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at Penn State Altoona as Penn State Berks ($25,854.00 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 Berks ($20,621 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 10.4% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($12,984 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Penn State Berks (68% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 12.3% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($9,574 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 15 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Penn State Altoona (95.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

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