Williams vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Williams Penn State Altoona
Location Williamstown, MA Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,222 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Williams Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $61,450 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $61,450 $25,854
Room & Board $15,530 $12,984
Avg Net Price $20,965 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $57,121 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 68%

Admission

Williams Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,321 7,523
Admitted 1,302 7,204
Acceptance Rate 8.5% 95.8%
Enrolled % 44.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Average
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 21/28
SAT Range 1480/1570 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 Jan 10, 2024

Academics

Williams Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Williams Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 95% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $150 $277

Diversity

Williams Penn State Altoona
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 54% 77%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 2%
% International 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Williams Penn State Altoona
% In-State 14% 59%
% Out-of-State 76% 35%

Campus

Williams 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

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,222 students)

Williams vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Williams College is 299.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 137.7% higher at Williams than Penn State Altoona ($61,450.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Williams ($20,621 vs. $20,965)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 19.6% lower than costs at Williams College ($12,984 vs. $15,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Williams College (68% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 496.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($57,121 vs. $9,574)

Williams vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Williams 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 Williams .

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 449 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.54 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Williams (8.5%)

Williams vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams 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 Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Penn State Altoona (95% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $18,300 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $12,236 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($14,582 vs. $26,818)
  • Williams graduates are paying $127 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($150 vs. $277)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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