Penn State Altoona vs. Westminster College

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

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
Location Altoona, PA New Wilmington, PA
Setting Small City Town Fringe
Enrollment 2,577 1,211
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #489
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu westminster.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $38,000
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $38,000
Room & Board $12,984 $11,900
Avg Net Price $20,621 $22,645
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $30,252
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 2,225
Admitted 7,204 1,675
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 75.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1250 1040/1258
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 Westminster College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (10%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
Graduation Rate 65% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 77%
% Black 7% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 15%

Students

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
% In-State 59% 70%
% Out-of-State 35% 29%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Westminster College
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 Westminster College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,211 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Westminster College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Westminster College?

  • Westminster College is 146.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($38,000.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47% higher at Westminster College than Penn State Altoona ($38,000.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Westminster College ($20,621 vs. $22,645)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Westminster College are 9.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,900 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Westminster College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Westminster College students is 216% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($30,252 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Westminster College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Westminster College (1028) is 35 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Westminster College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Westminster College students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Westminster College (75.3%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Westminster College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Westminster College? 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 Westminster College and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Westminster College is higher than Penn State Altoona (74% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $9,600 more per year than Westminster College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,700)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Westminster College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Westminster College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Westminster College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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