Penn State Altoona vs. UW-Eau Claire

Should I go to Penn State Altoona or University of Wisconsin Eau Claire? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Altoona or UW-Eau Claire 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. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire comparison
Penn State Altoona University of Wisconsin Eau Claire College 3 College 4
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
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Overview

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
Location Altoona, PA Eau Claire, WI
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 10,104
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #565
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu uwec.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,361
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $16,074
Room & Board $12,984 $9,014
Avg Net Price $20,621 $15,000
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $4,251
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 76%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 10,403
Admitted 7,204 7,971
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 76.6%
Enrolled % 12.6% 26.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.59
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 21/26
SAT Range 1050/1250
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 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
Graduation Rate 65% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
% Men 53% 40%
% Women 47% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 89%
% Black 7% 1%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
% In-State 59% 64%
% Out-of-State 35% 35%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona UW-Eau Claire
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

  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (10,104 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. UW-Eau Claire Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or UW-Eau Claire?

  • Penn State Altoona is 109% more expensive to attend than UW-Eau Claire for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,361.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 60.8% higher at Penn State Altoona than University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($25,854.00 vs. $16,074.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire than Penn State Altoona ($15,000 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire are 44% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($9,014 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire than Penn State Altoona (76% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 125.2% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin Eau Claire ($9,574 vs. $4,251)

Penn State Altoona vs. UW-Eau Claire Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (1110) is 117 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming UW-Eau Claire students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman UW-Eau Claire students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than UW-Eau Claire (76.6%)

Penn State Altoona vs. UW-Eau Claire Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or UW-Eau Claire? 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 UW-Eau Claire and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is the same as at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (65% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $7,400 more per year than UW-Eau Claire graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,900)
  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • UW-Eau Claire graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More UW-Eau Claire graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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