Penn State Altoona vs. Susquahanna

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

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
Location Altoona, PA Selinsgrove, PA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,577 2,231
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #320
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu susqu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $54,440
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $54,440
Room & Board $12,984 $14,960
Avg Net Price $20,621 $28,605
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $40,914
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 93%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 6,375
Admitted 7,204 4,889
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 76.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 11.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/30
SAT Range 1050/1250 1088/1280
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 Susquahanna
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 (24%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
Graduation Rate 65% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $57,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 81%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
% In-State 59% 62%
% Out-of-State 35% 38%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Susquahanna
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 Susquahanna based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,231 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Susquahanna Cost Comparison

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

  • Susquehanna University is 253.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($54,440.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 110.6% higher at Susquahanna than Penn State Altoona ($54,440.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Susquahanna ($20,621 vs. $28,605)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 15.2% lower than costs at Susquehanna University ($12,984 vs. $14,960)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Susquehanna University than Penn State Altoona (93% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Susquehanna University students is 327.3% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($40,914 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Susquahanna Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Susquahanna students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Susquahanna (76.7%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Susquahanna Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Susquahanna is higher than Penn State Altoona (77% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Susquehanna University earn on average $1,700 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($57,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Susquahanna graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Susquahanna graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Susquahanna graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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