Penn State Altoona vs. WVSU

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

Penn State Altoona WVSU
Location Altoona, PA Institute, WV
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 3,785
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #1009
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wvstateu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona WVSU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $8,122
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $13,810
Room & Board $12,984 $12,214
Avg Net Price $20,621 $11,684
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $9,482
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 90%

Admission

Penn State Altoona WVSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 2,775
Admitted 7,204 2,669
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 96.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 12.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.24
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 17/22
SAT Range 1050/1250 840/1065
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 WVSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona WVSU
Graduation Rate 65% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $32,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 35%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

Penn State Altoona WVSU
% Men 53% 41%
% Women 47% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No Yes
% White 77% 65%
% Black 7% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 10%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 9%

Students

Penn State Altoona WVSU
% In-State 59% 81%
% Out-of-State 35% 17%

Campus

Penn State Altoona WVSU
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

  • West Virginia State University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,785 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVSU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 89.5% more expensive to attend than WVSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $8,122.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 87.2% higher at Penn State Altoona than West Virginia State University ($25,854.00 vs. $13,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia State University than Penn State Altoona ($11,684 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia State University are 6.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,214 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia State University than Penn State Altoona (90% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 1% larger than aid received West Virginia State University ($9,574 vs. $9,482)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 66 points higher than at WVSU (927)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at WVSU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at WVSU (3.24)
  • WVSU has a higher acceptance rate (96.2%) than Penn State Altoona (95.8%)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than West Virginia State University (65% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $22,600 more per year than WVSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $32,700)
  • West Virginia State University students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • WVSU graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 35%)

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