Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
Location Elizabethtown, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,021 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #280 #584
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website etown.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $35,020 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $35,020 $25,854
Room & Board $12,642 $12,984
Avg Net Price $26,723 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $21,405 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,977 7,523
Admitted 2,415 7,204
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 95.8%
Enrolled % 19.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 21/28
SAT Range 1070/1280 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

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 79% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
% Men 39% 53%
% Women 61% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 86% 77%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Elizabethtown College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 72% 59%
% Out-of-State 27% 35%

Campus

 Elizabethtown College 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 Elizabethtown College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,021 students)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Elizabethtown College is 127.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($35,020.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.5% higher at Elizabethtown College than Penn State Altoona ($35,020.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Elizabethtown College ($20,621 vs. $26,723)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Elizabethtown College are 2.7% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,642 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Elizabethtown College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Elizabethtown College students is 123.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($21,405 vs. $9,574)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown College .

  • The average SAT score at Elizabethtown College (1125) is 132 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Elizabethtown College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Elizabethtown College students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Elizabethtown College (81.1%)

Elizabethtown College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown College.

  • The graduation rate at Elizabethtown College is higher than Penn State Altoona (79% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $3,500 more per year than Elizabethtown College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,800)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Elizabethtown College 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/