Wooster vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Wooster Penn State Altoona
Location Wooster, OH Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,967 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #198 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wooster.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wooster Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $57,050 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $57,050 $25,854
Room & Board $13,500 $12,984
Avg Net Price $28,976 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $42,315 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 68%

Admission

Wooster Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,251 7,523
Admitted 4,080 7,204
Acceptance Rate 56.3% 95.8%
Enrolled % 14.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.76 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 21/28
SAT Range 1250/1450 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 Feb 15, 2024

Academics

Wooster Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Wooster Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 75% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Wooster Penn State Altoona
% Men 49% 53%
% Women 51% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 77%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 9% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Wooster Penn State Altoona
% In-State 32% 59%
% Out-of-State 51% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Wooster based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,967 students)

Wooster vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • The College of Wooster is 270.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($57,050.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 120.7% higher at Wooster than Penn State Altoona ($57,050.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Wooster ($20,621 vs. $28,976)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 4% lower than costs at The College of Wooster ($12,984 vs. $13,500)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The College of Wooster than Penn State Altoona (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of Wooster students is 342% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($42,315 vs. $9,574)

Wooster vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Wooster 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 Wooster .

  • The average SAT score at The College of Wooster (1237) is 244 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Wooster students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Wooster students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Wooster (56.3%)

Wooster vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wooster 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 Wooster.

  • The graduation rate at Wooster is higher than Penn State Altoona (75% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $4,100 more per year than Wooster graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,200)
  • The College of Wooster students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wooster graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wooster 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/