SHU vs. Penn State Altoona

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

SHU Penn State Altoona
Location Fairfield, CT Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 10,721 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $25,854
Room & Board $17,520 $12,984
Avg Net Price $45,280 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 68%

Admission

SHU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 7,523
Admitted 8,750 7,204
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 20.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1250
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

SHU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

SHU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 68% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

SHU Penn State Altoona
% Men 35% 53%
% Women 65% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 77%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 12% 1%

Students

SHU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 23% 59%
% Out-of-State 75% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 2,577 students)

SHU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Sacred Heart University is 200.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79.1% higher at SHU than Penn State Altoona ($46,310.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than SHU ($20,621 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 34.9% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($12,984 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sacred Heart University than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 103.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($19,484 vs. $9,574)

SHU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SHU 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 SHU .

  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU 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 SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Penn State Altoona (68% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn on average $4,400 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($59,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Sacred Heart University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SHU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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