MCLA vs. Penn State Mont Alto

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Penn State Mont Alto? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or Penn State Mont Alto 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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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs. Penn State Mont Alto comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Penn State Mont Alto College 3 College 4
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Overview

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
Location North Adams, MA Mont Alto, PA
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 938 670
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $23,086
Room & Board $13,632 $12,254
Avg Net Price $15,377 $19,838
Avg Grant Aid $9,044 $9,124
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 79%

Admission

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,456 678
Admitted 1,346 619
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 91.3%
Enrolled % 13.2% 30.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180 1020/1230
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
Graduation Rate 53% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $254 $277

Diversity

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
% Men 42% 41%
% Women 58% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 74% 80%
% Black 9% 8%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
% In-State 55% 76%
% Out-of-State 45% 24%

Campus

 MCLA Penn State Mont Alto
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

  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is larger than than Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (938 students vs. 670 students)

MCLA vs. Penn State Mont Alto Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or Penn State Mont Alto?

  • Penn State Mont Alto is 1,242.1% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 131.4% higher at Penn State Mont Alto than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($23,086.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Penn State Mont Alto ($15,377 vs. $19,838)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Mont Alto are 11.2% lower than costs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($12,254 vs. $13,632)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than Penn State Mont Alto (100% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Mont Alto students is 0.9% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($9,124 vs. $9,044)

MCLA vs. Penn State Mont Alto Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MCLA or Penn State Mont Alto? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Mont Alto or MCLA .

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1016) is 61 points higher than at Penn State Mont Alto (955)
  • Incoming MCLA students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Mont Alto (21)
  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Penn State Mont Alto (91.3%)

MCLA vs. Penn State Mont Alto Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or Penn State Mont Alto? 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 Mont Alto and MCLA.

  • The graduation rate at MCLA is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (53% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Mont Alto earn on average $18,200 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $2,159 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($24,659 vs. $26,818)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($254 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Mont Alto graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MCLA students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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