Penn State Altoona vs. W&J

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

Penn State Altoona W&J
Location Altoona, PA Washington, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 1,151
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #264
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu washjeff.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona W&J
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $49,612
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $49,612
Room & Board $12,984 $13,524
Avg Net Price $20,621 $25,636
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $38,963
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

Penn State Altoona W&J
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 3,414
Admitted 7,204 3,007
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 88.1%
Enrolled % 12.6% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 19/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 1010/1250
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

Academics

Penn State Altoona W&J
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 (24%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona W&J
Graduation Rate 65% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 79%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Altoona W&J
% Men 53% 52%
% Women 47% 48%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 81%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Altoona W&J
% In-State 59% 72%
% Out-of-State 35% 28%

Campus

Penn State Altoona W&J
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 W&J based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,151 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. W&J Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or W&J?

  • Washington & Jefferson College is 222.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($49,612.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 91.9% higher at W&J than Penn State Altoona ($49,612.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than W&J ($20,621 vs. $25,636)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 4.2% lower than costs at Washington & Jefferson College ($12,984 vs. $13,524)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Washington & Jefferson College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Washington & Jefferson College students is 307% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($38,963 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. W&J Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman W&J 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 W&J (88.1%)

Penn State Altoona vs. W&J Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or W&J? 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 W&J and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at W&J is higher than Penn State Altoona (74% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Washington & Jefferson College earn on average $1,600 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($56,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than W&J graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than W&J graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More W&J graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 69%)

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