UMES vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 UMES Penn State Altoona
Location Princess Anne, MD Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,518 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #923 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umes.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UMES Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $5,637 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $16,467 $25,854
Room & Board $10,636 $12,984
Avg Net Price $12,020 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $12,705 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 UMES Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,724 7,523
Admitted 5,484 7,204
Acceptance Rate 81.6% 95.8%
Enrolled % 10.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.07 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/19 21/28
SAT Range 840/1010 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 Jun 1, 2024

Academics

 UMES Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (15%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 UMES Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 31% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 23% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 UMES Penn State Altoona
% Men 43% 53%
% Women 57% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 10% 77%
% Black 75% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UMES Penn State Altoona
% In-State 79% 59%
% Out-of-State 18% 35%

Campus

 UMES 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 UMES based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,518 students)

UMES vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 173% more expensive to attend than UMES for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $5,637.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 57% higher at Penn State Altoona than University of Maryland Eastern Shore ($25,854.00 vs. $16,467.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Maryland Eastern Shore than Penn State Altoona ($12,020 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Maryland Eastern Shore are 22.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,636 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Maryland Eastern Shore than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Maryland Eastern Shore students is 32.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($12,705 vs. $9,574)

UMES vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMES 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 UMES .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 159 points higher than at UMES (834)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UMES (17)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at UMES (3.07)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than UMES (81.6%)

UMES vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UMES 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 UMES.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than University of Maryland Eastern Shore (65% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $14,900 more per year than UMES graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,400)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than UMES graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than UMES graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMES students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 23%)

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