Grove City College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
Location Grove City, Pennsylvania Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,316 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584
Religious Affiliation Undenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gcc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $19,990 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $19,990 $25,854
Room & Board $11,050 $12,984
Avg Net Price $23,538 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $8,020 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 68%

Admission

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,174 7,523
Admitted 1,543 7,204
Acceptance Rate 71% 95.8%
Enrolled % 39.5% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/32 21/28
SAT Range 1130/1360 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 Mar 20, 2025

Academics

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate - 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments - 69%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $26,818
Median Loan Payment N/A $277

Diversity

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
% Men 52% 53%
% Women 48% 47%
Racial Diversity - Low
HBCU No No
% White 0% 77%
% Black 0% 7%
% Hispanic 0% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Grove City College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 50% 59%
% Out-of-State 49% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Grove City College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,316 students)

Grove City College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Grove City College is 29.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($19,990.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.3% higher at Penn State Altoona than Grove City College ($25,854.00 vs. $19,990.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Grove City College ($20,621 vs. $23,538)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Grove City College are 17.5% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,050 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Grove City College (68% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 19.4% larger than aid received Grove City College ($9,574 vs. $8,020)

Grove City College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Grove City 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 Grove City College .

  • Accepted freshman Grove City College students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Grove City College (71%)

Grove City College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Grove City 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 Grove City College.

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