Keystone College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
Location La Plume, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,131 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #981 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website keystone.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $14,950 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $14,950 $25,854
Room & Board $11,900 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,559 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $15,368 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,572 7,523
Admitted 1,268 7,204
Acceptance Rate 80.7% 95.8%
Enrolled % 15.7% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 885/1160 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

Academics

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 39% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $33,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
% Men 46% 53%
% Women 54% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 77%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 Keystone College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 61% 59%
% Out-of-State 38% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Altoona is larger than than Keystone College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,131 students)

Keystone College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 2.9% more expensive to attend than Keystone College for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $14,950.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.9% higher at Penn State Altoona than Keystone College ($25,854.00 vs. $14,950.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Keystone College than Penn State Altoona ($15,559 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Keystone College are 9.1% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,900 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Keystone College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Keystone College students is 60.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($15,368 vs. $9,574)

Keystone College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 87 points higher than at Keystone College (906)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Keystone College (19)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Keystone College (3.0)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Keystone College (80.7%)

Keystone College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Keystone 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 Keystone College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Keystone College (65% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $21,900 more per year than Keystone College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $33,400)
  • Keystone College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Keystone College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Keystone College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 57%)

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