FDU vs. Penn State Altoona

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

FDU Penn State Altoona
Location Madison, NJ Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,823 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #342 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fdu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

FDU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $33,264 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $33,264 $25,854
Room & Board $15,588 $12,984
Avg Net Price $21,408 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $28,436 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

FDU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,421 7,523
Admitted 3,940 7,204
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 95.8%
Enrolled % 11.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/30 21/28
SAT Range 1040/1310 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

FDU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

FDU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 55% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

FDU Penn State Altoona
% Men 41% 53%
% Women 59% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 77%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

FDU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 81% 59%
% Out-of-State 18% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (2,823 students vs. 2,577 students)

FDU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is 116.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($33,264.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.7% higher at FDU than Penn State Altoona ($33,264.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than FDU ($20,621 vs. $21,408)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 20.1% lower than costs at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham ($12,984 vs. $15,588)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students is 197% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($28,436 vs. $9,574)

FDU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, FDU 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 FDU .

  • The average SAT score at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (1034) is 41 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming FDU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman FDU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than FDU (89.1%)

FDU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FDU 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 FDU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (65% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $2,400 more per year than FDU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,900)
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • FDU 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 FDU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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