Penn State Altoona vs. Wilson College

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

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
Location Altoona, PA Chambersburg, PA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,577 1,360
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #974
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wilson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $25,200
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $25,200
Room & Board $12,984 $11,968
Avg Net Price $20,621 $23,923
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $14,241
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 99%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 739
Admitted 7,204 695
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 94%
Enrolled % 12.6% 19.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1250 970/1120
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 Wilson College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Agriculture (11%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
Graduation Rate 65% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $266

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
% Men 53% 23%
% Women 47% 77%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 66%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 15%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
% In-State 59% 64%
% Out-of-State 35% 34%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Wilson College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Wilson College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,360 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Wilson College Cost Comparison

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

  • Wilson College is 63.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($25,200.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at Penn State Altoona than Wilson College ($25,854.00 vs. $25,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Wilson College ($20,621 vs. $23,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wilson College are 8.5% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,968 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilson College than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilson College students is 48.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($14,241 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Wilson College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 52 points higher than at Wilson College (941)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Wilson College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Wilson College students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Wilson College (94%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Wilson College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Wilson 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 Wilson College and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Wilson College (65% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $20,600 more per year than Wilson College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $34,700)
  • Wilson College students graduate with a $1,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Wilson College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($266 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wilson College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 66%)

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