Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Penn State Altoona Penn State Harrisburg
Location Altoona, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $25,854
Room & Board $12,984 $14,978
Avg Net Price $20,621 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 63%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 9,925
Admitted 7,204 9,483
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 95.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 24/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 1100/1310
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 Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 65% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 53% 60%
% Women 47% 40%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 59%
% Black 7% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Altoona Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 59% 46%
% Out-of-State 35% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona and Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg ($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 Harrisburg ($20,621 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 15.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,984 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Penn State Harrisburg (68% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 7.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($9,574 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 50 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Penn State Harrisburg (95.5%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (65% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Altoona and Penn State Harrisburg have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Altoona graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Altoona graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Harrisburg 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/