Lehigh vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
Location Bethlehem, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 7,394 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #54 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $58,970 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $58,970 $25,854
Room & Board $15,890 $12,984
Avg Net Price $30,453 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $44,116 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 68%

Admission

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,163 7,523
Admitted 5,607 7,204
Acceptance Rate 37% 95.8%
Enrolled % 26.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Average
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 21/28
SAT Range 1340/1490 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 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 87% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,256 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $250 $277

Diversity

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
% Men 54% 53%
% Women 46% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 77%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lehigh Penn State Altoona
% In-State 21% 59%
% Out-of-State 71% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 2,577 students)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Lehigh University is 283.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 128.1% higher at Lehigh than Penn State Altoona ($58,970.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Lehigh ($20,621 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 22.4% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($12,984 vs. $15,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than Lehigh University (68% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 360.8% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($44,116 vs. $9,574)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lehigh 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 Lehigh .

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 345 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh 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 Lehigh (37%)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh 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 Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $33,900 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $2,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,818)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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