Penn State Altoona vs. Villanova

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

Penn State Altoona Villanova
Location Altoona, PA Villanova, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 10,383
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #66
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu villanova.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Villanova
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $60,768
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $60,768
Room & Board $12,984 $16,087
Avg Net Price $20,621 $34,837
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $42,834
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 52%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Villanova
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 23,835
Admitted 7,204 5,576
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 23.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 31.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.87
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 21/28 32/34
SAT Range 1050/1250 1378/1500
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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

Penn State Altoona Villanova
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Villanova
Graduation Rate 65% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $85,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,497
Median Loan Payment $277 $273

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Villanova
% Men 53% 46%
% Women 47% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 74%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Altoona Villanova
% In-State 59% 18%
% Out-of-State 35% 78%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Villanova
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

  • Villanova University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (10,383 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Villanova Cost Comparison

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

  • Villanova University is 294.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($60,768.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 135% higher at Villanova than Penn State Altoona ($60,768.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Villanova ($20,621 vs. $34,837)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 23.9% lower than costs at Villanova University ($12,984 vs. $16,087)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Villanova University (68% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Villanova University students is 347.4% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($42,834 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Villanova Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Villanova University (1326) is 333 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Villanova students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Villanova students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Villanova (23.4%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Villanova Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Villanova is higher than Penn State Altoona (90% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Villanova University earn on average $29,800 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($85,100 vs. $55,300)
  • Villanova University students graduate with a $321 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,497 vs. $26,818)
  • Villanova graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($273 vs. $277)
  • More Villanova graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 69%)

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