Penn State Altoona vs. Sweet Briar College

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

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
Location Altoona, PA Sweet Briar, VA
Setting Small City Small Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 460
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu sbc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $22,620
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $22,620
Room & Board $12,984 $14,250
Avg Net Price $20,621 $28,408
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $12,254
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 96%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 1,204
Admitted 7,204 912
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 75.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/30
SAT Range 1050/1250 1020/1360
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 Sweet Briar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
Graduation Rate 65% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
% Men 53% 0%
% Women 47% 100%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 71%
% Black 7% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
% In-State 59% 43%
% Out-of-State 35% 49%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Sweet Briar College
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 Sweet Briar College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 460 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sweet Briar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Sweet Briar College?

  • Sweet Briar College is 47% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($22,620.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than Sweet Briar College ($25,854.00 vs. $22,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Sweet Briar College ($20,621 vs. $28,408)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 9.8% lower than costs at Sweet Briar College ($12,984 vs. $14,250)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sweet Briar College than Penn State Altoona (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sweet Briar College students is 28% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($12,254 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sweet Briar College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Sweet Briar College (1098) is 105 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Sweet Briar College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Sweet Briar College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Sweet Briar College (75.7%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Sweet Briar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Sweet Briar College? 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 Sweet Briar College and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Sweet Briar College is higher than Penn State Altoona (70% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $13,600 more per year than Sweet Briar College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $41,700)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Sweet Briar College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Sweet Briar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 69%)

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