BGSU vs. Penn State Altoona

Should I go to Bowling Green State University Main Campus or Penn State Altoona? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BGSU 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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Bowling Green State University Main Campus vs. Penn State Altoona comparison
Bowling Green State University Main Campus Penn State Altoona College 3 College 4
Bowling Green State University Main Campus
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Overview

BGSU Penn State Altoona
Location Bowling Green, OH Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 17,027 2,421
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #687 #618
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BGSU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $11,611 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $19,600 $26,112
Room & Board $11,784 $13,820
Avg Net Price $20,987 $22,506
Avg Grant Aid $8,795 $8,730
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 64%

Admission

BGSU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,629 7,134
Admitted 15,016 6,942
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 97.3%
Enrolled % 20.7% 12.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 22/27
SAT Range 1020/1230 1050/1260
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 Jul 15, 2025

Academics

BGSU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

BGSU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 58% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

BGSU Penn State Altoona
% Men 7% 0%
% Women 11% 0%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 77%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

BGSU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 87% 59%
% Out-of-State 12% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (17,027 students vs. 2,421 students)

BGSU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 32.5% more expensive to attend than BGSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $11,611.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 33.2% higher at Penn State Altoona than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($26,112.00 vs. $19,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Penn State Altoona ($20,987 vs. $22,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bowling Green State University Main Campus are 17.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,784 vs. $13,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Penn State Altoona (94% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bowling Green State University Main Campus students is 0.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($8,795 vs. $8,730)

BGSU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BGSU 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 BGSU .

  • The average SAT score at Bowling Green State University Main Campus (1012) is 19 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming BGSU students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman BGSU students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than BGSU (80.6%)

BGSU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BGSU 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 BGSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (65% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $11,700 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,600)
  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • BGSU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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