Penn State Altoona vs. PVAMU

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

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
Location Altoona, PA Prairie View, TX
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,577 9,056
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #996
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu pvamu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,387
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $22,590
Room & Board $12,984 $9,605
Avg Net Price $20,621 $12,875
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $14,071
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 5,691
Admitted 7,204 4,329
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 76.1%
Enrolled % 12.6% 36%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 16/21
SAT Range 1050/1250 860/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • General Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
Graduation Rate 65% 34%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $28,955
Median Loan Payment $277 $299

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
% Men 53% 33%
% Women 47% 67%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 77% 3%
% Black 7% 86%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Altoona PVAMU
% In-State 59% 88%
% Out-of-State 35% 12%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Prairie View A & M University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (9,056 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. PVAMU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 108.3% more expensive to attend than PVAMU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,387.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.4% higher at Penn State Altoona than Prairie View A & M University ($25,854.00 vs. $22,590.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Prairie View A & M University than Penn State Altoona ($12,875 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie View A & M University are 35.2% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($9,605 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie View A & M University than Penn State Altoona (97% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie View A & M University students is 47% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($14,071 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. PVAMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 136 points higher than at PVAMU (857)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PVAMU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at PVAMU (3.3)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than PVAMU (76.1%)

Penn State Altoona vs. PVAMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Prairie View A & M University (65% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $16,300 more per year than PVAMU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,000)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $2,137 lower median federal student loan debt than PVAMU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $28,955)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than PVAMU graduates. ($277 vs. $299)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PVAMU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 28%)

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