UCO-Central vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
Location Edmond, OK Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 12,250 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #766 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uco.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,026 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $17,913 $25,854
Room & Board $8,628 $12,984
Avg Net Price $18,055 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $6,422 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 68%

Admission

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,115 7,523
Admitted 2,878 7,204
Acceptance Rate 69.9% 95.8%
Enrolled % 53.1% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1250
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 36% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,393 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $210 $277

Diversity

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 77%
% Black 9% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 4% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 2%
% International 7% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UCO-Central Penn State Altoona
% In-State 90% 59%
% Out-of-State 5% 35%

Campus

 UCO-Central 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

  • University of Central Oklahoma is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (12,250 students vs. 2,577 students)

UCO-Central vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCO-Central or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 119% more expensive to attend than UCO-Central for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,026.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than University of Central Oklahoma ($25,854.00 vs. $17,913.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Oklahoma than Penn State Altoona ($18,055 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Oklahoma are 50.5% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($8,628 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Oklahoma than Penn State Altoona (78% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 49.1% larger than aid received University of Central Oklahoma ($9,574 vs. $6,422)

UCO-Central vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCO-Central 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 UCO-Central .

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Oklahoma (1010) is 17 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming UCO-Central students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman UCO-Central students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than UCO-Central (69.9%)

UCO-Central vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCO-Central 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 UCO-Central.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than University of Central Oklahoma (65% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $10,700 more per year than UCO-Central graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,600)
  • University of Central Oklahoma students graduate with a $6,425 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,393 vs. $26,818)
  • UCO-Central graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($210 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCO-Central students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 54%)

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