Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
Location Center Valley, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 888 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $25,854
Room & Board $12,984 $12,984
Avg Net Price $18,142 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 68%

Admission

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 7,523
Admitted 1,699 7,204
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 95.8%
Enrolled % 15.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 21/28
SAT Range 1100/1290 1050/1250
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 Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 47% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $277 $277

Diversity

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
% Men 57% 53%
% Women 43% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 77%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Altoona
% In-State 93% 59%
% Out-of-State 6% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 5.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($25,854.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Penn State Altoona ($18,142 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 0% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($12,984 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Penn State Altoona (78% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 3.3% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($9,886 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019) is 26 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Penn State Lehigh Valley (94.1%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Penn State Altoona? 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 Penn State Altoona and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (65% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Altoona have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Altoona and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Altoona and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Altoona and Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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