Meredith vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Meredith Penn State Altoona
Location Raleigh, NC Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 1,587 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #396 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website meredith.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Meredith Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $42,420 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $42,420 $25,854
Room & Board $12,544 $12,984
Avg Net Price $23,259 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $29,825 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

Meredith Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,775 7,523
Admitted 1,299 7,204
Acceptance Rate 73.2% 95.8%
Enrolled % 25.6% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/28 21/28
SAT Range 1140/1320 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Meredith Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Meredith Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 59% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Meredith Penn State Altoona
% Men 2% 53%
% Women 98% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 77%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 5% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Meredith Penn State Altoona
% In-State 80% 59%
% Out-of-State 13% 35%

Campus

Meredith 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 Meredith based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,587 students)

Meredith vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Meredith College is 175.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($42,420.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.1% higher at Meredith than Penn State Altoona ($42,420.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Meredith ($20,621 vs. $23,259)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Meredith College are 3.5% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,544 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Meredith College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Meredith College students is 211.5% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($29,825 vs. $9,574)

Meredith vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Meredith 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 Meredith .

  • The average SAT score at Meredith College (1036) is 43 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Meredith students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Meredith students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Meredith (73.2%)

Meredith vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Meredith 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 Meredith.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Meredith College (65% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $15,300 more per year than Meredith graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,000)
  • Meredith College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Meredith 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 Meredith students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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