Penn State Altoona vs. Sul Ross State University

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or Sul Ross State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or Sul Ross State 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.

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Penn State Altoona vs. Sul Ross State University comparison
Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University College 3 College 4
Sul Ross State University
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Overview

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
Location Altoona, PA Alpine, TX
Setting Small City Remote Town
Enrollment 2,577 1,987
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu sulross.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $5,419
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $15,211
Room & Board $12,984 $9,744
Avg Net Price $20,621 $13,130
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $9,096
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 84%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 717
Admitted 7,204 696
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 97.1%Open
Enrolled % 12.6% 35.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 16/21
SAT Range 1050/1250 850/1080
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 Sul Ross State University
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • General Studies (23%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
Graduation Rate 65% 24%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 N/A
Median Loan Payment $277 N/A

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
% Men 53% 40%
% Women 47% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 23%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 66%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Altoona Sul Ross State University
% In-State 59% 96%
% Out-of-State 35% 4%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Sul Ross State University based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,987 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sul Ross State University Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 184% more expensive to attend than Sul Ross State University for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,419.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 70% higher at Penn State Altoona than Sul Ross State University ($25,854.00 vs. $15,211.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sul Ross State University than Penn State Altoona ($13,130 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sul Ross State University are 33.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($9,744 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sul Ross State University than Penn State Altoona (84% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 5.3% larger than aid received Sul Ross State University ($9,574 vs. $9,096)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sul Ross State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 151 points higher than at Sul Ross State University (842)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Sul Ross State University (18)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Sul Ross State University (3.32)
  • Sul Ross State University has a higher acceptance rate (97.1%) than Penn State Altoona (95.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sul Ross State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Sul Ross State 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 Sul Ross State University and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Sul Ross State University (65% vs. 24%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $14,700 more per year than Sul Ross State University graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,600)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sul Ross State University students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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