F&M vs. Penn State Altoona

Should I go to Franklin and Marshall College or Penn State Altoona? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if F&M 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Franklin and Marshall College vs. Penn State Altoona comparison
Franklin and Marshall College Penn State Altoona College 3 College 4
Franklin and Marshall College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

F&M Penn State Altoona
Location Lancaster, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 1,990 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #56 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fandm.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

F&M Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $65,652 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $65,652 $25,854
Room & Board $15,040 $12,984
Avg Net Price $31,135 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $49,177 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 68%

Admission

F&M Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,923 7,523
Admitted 3,233 7,204
Acceptance Rate 36.2% 95.8%
Enrolled % 15.1% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.4
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Average
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 21/28
SAT Range 1310/1440 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

F&M Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

F&M Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 85% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $227 $277

Diversity

F&M Penn State Altoona
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 77%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 14% 5%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

F&M Penn State Altoona
% In-State 25% 59%
% Out-of-State 53% 35%

Campus

F&M 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 F&M based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,990 students)

F&M vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, F&M or Penn State Altoona?

  • Franklin and Marshall College is 326.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($65,652.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 153.9% higher at F&M than Penn State Altoona ($65,652.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than F&M ($20,621 vs. $31,135)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 15.8% lower than costs at Franklin and Marshall College ($12,984 vs. $15,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Franklin and Marshall College (68% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Franklin and Marshall College students is 413.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($49,177 vs. $9,574)

F&M vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, F&M 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 F&M .

  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than F&M (36.2%)

F&M vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, F&M 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 F&M.

  • The graduation rate at F&M is higher than Penn State Altoona (85% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Franklin and Marshall College earn on average $6,600 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Franklin and Marshall College students graduate with a $4,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,818)
  • F&M graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More F&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 69%)

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