Penn State Altoona vs. WCU

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

 Penn State Altoona WCU
Location Altoona, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona WCU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $19,290
Room & Board $12,984 $14,228
Avg Net Price $20,621 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 14,778
Admitted 7,204 12,982
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 87.8%
Enrolled % 12.6% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/30
SAT Range 1050/1250 1080/1260
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 WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona WCU
Graduation Rate 65% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona WCU
% Men 53% 39%
% Women 47% 61%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 78%
% Black 7% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Altoona WCU
% In-State 59% 87%
% Out-of-State 35% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona WCU
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

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. WCU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 99.4% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34% higher at Penn State Altoona than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($25,854.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than WCU ($20,621 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 9.6% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($12,984 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (68% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 75.9% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($9,574 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Altoona vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 79 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.43) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Altoona (68% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $6,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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