Juniata College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
Location Huntingdon, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,212 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #282 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website juniata.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $53,256 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $53,256 $25,854
Room & Board $13,050 $12,984
Avg Net Price $29,926 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $36,116 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,563 7,523
Admitted 1,952 7,204
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 95.8%
Enrolled % 15.2% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 21/28
SAT Range 1120/1340 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 15, 2025

Academics

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 76% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 77%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

Juniata College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 56% 59%
% Out-of-State 32% 35%

Campus

Juniata College 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 Juniata College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,212 students)

Juniata College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Juniata College is 246.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($53,256.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 106% higher at Juniata College than Penn State Altoona ($53,256.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Juniata College ($20,621 vs. $29,926)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 0.5% lower than costs at Juniata College ($12,984 vs. $13,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Juniata College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Juniata College students is 277.2% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($36,116 vs. $9,574)

Juniata College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Juniata College students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Juniata College (76.2%)

Juniata College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Juniata 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 Juniata College.

  • The graduation rate at Juniata College is higher than Penn State Altoona (76% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $2,200 more per year than Juniata College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $53,100)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Juniata College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Juniata College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Juniata College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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