SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
Location Potsdam, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 2,427 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website potsdam.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $25,854
Room & Board $14,600 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,310 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $11,632 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 68%

Admission

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,170 7,523
Admitted 2,621 7,204
Acceptance Rate 82.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 16.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 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-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (24%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 51% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 77%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

 SUNY-Potsdam Penn State Altoona
% In-State 95% 59%
% Out-of-State 4% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than SUNY-Potsdam based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,427 students)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY-Potsdam 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 Potsdam ($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 Potsdam than Penn State Altoona ($15,310 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 12.4% lower than costs at SUNY College at Potsdam ($12,984 vs. $14,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College at Potsdam than Penn State Altoona (93% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY College at Potsdam students is 21.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($11,632 vs. $9,574)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY-Potsdam 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-Potsdam .

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at SUNY-Potsdam (3.3)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than SUNY-Potsdam (82.7%)

SUNY-Potsdam vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-Potsdam 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-Potsdam.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than SUNY College at Potsdam (65% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $16,200 more per year than SUNY-Potsdam graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,100)
  • SUNY College at Potsdam students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY-Potsdam graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY-Potsdam students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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