Salisbury vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
Location Salisbury, MD Altoona, PA
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 7,123 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #357 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website salisbury.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,556 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $18,032 $25,854
Room & Board $12,990 $12,984
Avg Net Price $19,756 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $6,917 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 68%

Admission

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,108 7,523
Admitted 7,383 7,204
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 95.8%
Enrolled % 18.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 21/28
SAT Range 1180/1320 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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 67% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,153 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $208 $277

Diversity

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
% Men 43% 53%
% Women 57% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 77%
% Black 13% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
% In-State 80% 59%
% Out-of-State 19% 35%

Campus

Salisbury Penn State Altoona
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

  • Salisbury University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (7,123 students vs. 2,577 students)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 103.7% more expensive to attend than Salisbury for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,556.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.4% higher at Penn State Altoona than Salisbury University ($25,854.00 vs. $18,032.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Salisbury University than Penn State Altoona ($19,756 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 0% lower than costs at Salisbury University ($12,984 vs. $12,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Salisbury University than Penn State Altoona (95% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 38.4% larger than aid received Salisbury University ($9,574 vs. $6,917)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Salisbury 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 Salisbury .

  • Accepted freshman Salisbury students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Salisbury (91.1%)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salisbury 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 Salisbury.

  • The graduation rate at Salisbury is higher than Penn State Altoona (67% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $3,300 more per year than Salisbury graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,000)
  • Salisbury University students graduate with a $6,665 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,153 vs. $26,818)
  • Salisbury graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($208 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Salisbury students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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