Culinary Institute of America vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
Location Hyde Park, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,124 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ciachef.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $33,850 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $33,850 $25,854
Room & Board $13,110 $12,984
Avg Net Price $33,499 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $20,215 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,887 7,523
Admitted 1,790 7,204
Acceptance Rate 94.9% 95.8%
Enrolled % 37.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.26 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 21/28
SAT Range 980/1240 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

Academics

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Personal and Culinary Services (78%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate - 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $155 $277

Diversity

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
% Men 50% 53%
% Women 50% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 77%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 17% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 12% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Culinary Institute of America Penn State Altoona
% In-State 18% 59%
% Out-of-State 70% 35%

Campus

Culinary Institute of America 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

  • Culinary Institute of America is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,124 students vs. 2,577 students)

Culinary Institute of America vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Culinary Institute of America or Penn State Altoona?

  • Culinary Institute of America is 120% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($33,850.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.9% higher at Culinary Institute of America than Penn State Altoona ($33,850.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Culinary Institute of America ($20,621 vs. $33,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 1% lower than costs at Culinary Institute of America ($12,984 vs. $13,110)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Culinary Institute of America than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Culinary Institute of America students is 111.1% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($20,215 vs. $9,574)

Culinary Institute of America vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Culinary Institute of America 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 Culinary Institute of America .

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Culinary Institute of America (3.26)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Culinary Institute of America (94.9%)

Culinary Institute of America vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Culinary Institute of America 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 Culinary Institute of America.

  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $8,700 more per year than Culinary Institute of America graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,600)
  • Culinary Institute of America students graduate with a $11,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($15,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Culinary Institute of America graduates are paying $122 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($155 vs. $277)
  • More Culinary Institute of America graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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