Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Location Bryn Mawr, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,742 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynmawr.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $58,000 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $58,000 $25,854
Room & Board $18,050 $12,984
Avg Net Price $39,072 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $36,618 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 68%

Admission

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,594 7,523
Admitted 1,105 7,204
Acceptance Rate 30.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 35.8% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Average
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 29/33 21/28
SAT Range 1280/1495 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 15, 2025

Academics

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • Foreign Languages (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 87% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
% Men 4% 53%
% Women 96% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 36% 77%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 23% 5%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
% In-State 9% 59%
% Out-of-State 73% 35%

Campus

Bryn Mawr Penn State Altoona
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Mawr based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,742 students)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Bryn Mawr College is 276.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($58,000.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 124.3% higher at Bryn Mawr than Penn State Altoona ($58,000.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Bryn Mawr ($20,621 vs. $39,072)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 39% lower than costs at Bryn Mawr College ($12,984 vs. $18,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bryn Mawr College than Penn State Altoona (73% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bryn Mawr College students is 282.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($36,618 vs. $9,574)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bryn Mawr 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 Mawr .

  • The average SAT score at Bryn Mawr College (1346) is 353 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Bryn Mawr students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Bryn Mawr students have a 0.45 point higher average high school GPA (3.85) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Bryn Mawr (30.7%)

Bryn Mawr vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Mawr 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 Mawr.

  • The graduation rate at Bryn Mawr is higher than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Bryn Mawr College earn on average $6,200 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($61,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Bryn Mawr College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Bryn Mawr graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Bryn Mawr graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 69%)

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