SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
Location Cortland, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 6,690 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #399 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cortland.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $25,854
Room & Board $13,620 $12,984
Avg Net Price $18,304 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $9,369 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 68%

Admission

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,711 7,523
Admitted 7,001 7,204
Acceptance Rate 59.8% 95.8%
Enrolled % 19.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/27 21/28
SAT Range 1090/1240 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

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (41%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (16%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (5%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 67% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $222 $277

Diversity

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
% Men 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 74% 77%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 SUNY Cortland Penn State Altoona
% In-State 96% 59%
% Out-of-State 4% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY College at Cortland is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (6,690 students vs. 2,577 students)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Cortland or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY Cortland for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 52.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than SUNY College at Cortland ($25,854.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY College at Cortland than Penn State Altoona ($18,304 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 4.9% lower than costs at SUNY College at Cortland ($12,984 vs. $13,620)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College at Cortland than Penn State Altoona (73% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 2.2% larger than aid received SUNY College at Cortland ($9,574 vs. $9,369)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY Cortland 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 SUNY Cortland .

  • Accepted freshman SUNY Cortland students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than SUNY Cortland (59.8%)

SUNY Cortland vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Cortland 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 SUNY Cortland.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY Cortland is higher than Penn State Altoona (67% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $8,000 more per year than SUNY Cortland graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,300)
  • SUNY College at Cortland students graduate with a $5,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Cortland graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More SUNY Cortland graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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