Howard vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Howard Penn State Altoona
Location Washington, DC Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 12,886 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Howard Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $25,854
Room & Board $15,880 $12,984
Avg Net Price $28,279 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 68%

Admission

Howard Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 7,523
Admitted 10,253 7,204
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 95.8%
Enrolled % 24.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 21/28
SAT Range 1050/1290 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Howard Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Howard Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 63% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Howard Penn State Altoona
% Men 29% 53%
% Women 71% 47%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 77%
% Black 91% 7%
% Hispanic 0% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 5% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Howard Penn State Altoona
% In-State 1% 59%
% Out-of-State 91% 35%

Campus

Howard 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

  • Howard University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (12,886 students vs. 2,577 students)

Howard vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Howard University is 98.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($30,584.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.3% higher at Howard than Penn State Altoona ($30,584.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Howard ($20,621 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 22.3% lower than costs at Howard University ($12,984 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 109.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($20,063 vs. $9,574)

Howard vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard 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 Howard .

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 112 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Howard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Howard 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 Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Howard University (65% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $3,500 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,800)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 33%)

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