Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
Location Bryn Athyn, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 285 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation Other (none of the above) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynathyn.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $25,140 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $25,140 $25,854
Room & Board $13,449 $12,984
Avg Net Price $21,305 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $17,720 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 68%

Admission

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 579 7,523
Admitted 463 7,204
Acceptance Rate 80% 95.8%
Enrolled % 16.8% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 2.87 3.4
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 980/1253 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 1, 2025

Academics

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (38%)
  • General Studies (19%)
  • History (17%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 30% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $26,818
Median Loan Payment N/A $277

Diversity

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
% Men 49% 53%
% Women 51% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 77%
% Black 21% 7%
% Hispanic 10% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 4% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Bryn Athyn College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 82% 59%
% Out-of-State 18% 35%

Campus

 Bryn Athyn College 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

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Bryn Athyn College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 285 students)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bryn Athyn College or Penn State Altoona?

  • Bryn Athyn College of the New Church is 63.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($25,140.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.8% higher at Penn State Altoona than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($25,854.00 vs. $25,140.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Bryn Athyn College ($20,621 vs. $21,305)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 3.6% lower than costs at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($12,984 vs. $13,449)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church than Penn State Altoona (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bryn Athyn College of the New Church students is 85.1% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($17,720 vs. $9,574)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 41 points higher than at Bryn Athyn College (952)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Bryn Athyn College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.53 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Bryn Athyn College (2.87)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Bryn Athyn College (80%)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church (65% vs. 30%)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bryn Athyn College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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