Penn State Altoona vs. Castleton State College

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

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
Location Altoona, PA Castleton, VT
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,577 2,363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #783
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu castleton.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $11,832
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $28,800
Room & Board $12,984 $12,404
Avg Net Price $20,621 $16,791
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $13,007
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 3,115
Admitted 7,204 2,508
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 80.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.17
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/26
SAT Range 1050/1250 970/1210
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

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
Graduation Rate 65% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
% Men 53% 40%
% Women 47% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 83%
% Black 7% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
% In-State 59% 43%
% Out-of-State 35% 51%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Castleton State College
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 Castleton State College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,363 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Castleton State College Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 30.1% more expensive to attend than Castleton State College for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $11,832.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.4% higher at Castleton State College than Penn State Altoona ($28,800.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Castleton State College than Penn State Altoona ($16,791 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Castleton State College are 4.7% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,404 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Castleton State College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Castleton State College students is 35.9% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($13,007 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Castleton State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 34 points higher than at Castleton State College (959)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Castleton State College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Castleton State College (3.17)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Castleton State College (80.5%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Castleton State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Castleton State College? 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 Castleton State College and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Castleton State College (65% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $17,700 more per year than Castleton State College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,600)
  • Castleton State College students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Castleton State College graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Castleton State College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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