Iona College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Iona College Penn State Altoona
Location New Rochelle, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,720 2,421
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #492 #618
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iona.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Iona College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $43,680 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $43,680 $26,112
Room & Board $18,270 $13,820
Avg Net Price $28,557 $22,506
Avg Grant Aid $29,258 $8,730
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 64%

Admission

Iona College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,289 7,134
Admitted 6,643 6,942
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 97.3%
Enrolled % 12.1% 12.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/28 22/27
SAT Range 1055/1265 1050/1260
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, 2026

Academics

Iona College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (37%)
  • Communication (17%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Iona College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 57% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,047 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $269 $277

Diversity

Iona College Penn State Altoona
% Men 5% 0%
% Women 11% 0%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 77%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 22% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

Iona College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 78% 59%
% Out-of-State 20% 35%

Campus

Iona College 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

  • Iona College is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,720 students vs. 2,421 students)

Iona College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Iona College is 183.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($43,680.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67.3% higher at Iona College than Penn State Altoona ($43,680.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Iona College ($22,506 vs. $28,557)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 32.2% lower than costs at Iona College ($13,820 vs. $18,270)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iona College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iona College students is 235.1% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($29,258 vs. $8,730)

Iona College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iona College (1005) is 12 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Iona College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Iona College students have at the same average high school GPA (3.4) as students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Iona College (91.1%)

Iona College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Iona 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 Iona College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Iona College (65% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Iona College earn on average $3,100 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($58,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Iona College students graduate with a $771 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,047 vs. $26,818)
  • Iona College graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($269 vs. $277)
  • More Iona College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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