Penn State Altoona vs. Coastal Carolina

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

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
Location Altoona, PA Conway, SC
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,421 10,829
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #618 #767
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu coastal.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $11,460
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $29,448
Room & Board $13,820 $11,418
Avg Net Price $22,506 $14,453
Avg Grant Aid $8,730 $9,939
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 87%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,134 18,223
Admitted 6,942 14,613
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 80.2%
Enrolled % 12.4% 19%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.72
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1260 1050/1210
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 Coastal Carolina
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 (30%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
Graduation Rate 65% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,930
Median Loan Payment $277 $257

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
% Men 0% 2%
% Women 0% 3%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 68%
% Black 7% 20%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
% In-State 59% 31%
% Out-of-State 35% 68%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona Coastal Carolina
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

  • Coastal Carolina University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (10,829 students vs. 2,421 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Coastal Carolina Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Coastal Carolina?

  • Penn State Altoona is 34.3% more expensive to attend than Coastal Carolina for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $11,460.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.8% higher at Coastal Carolina than Penn State Altoona ($29,448.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Coastal Carolina University than Penn State Altoona ($14,453 vs. $22,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Coastal Carolina University are 21% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,418 vs. $13,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Coastal Carolina University than Penn State Altoona (87% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Coastal Carolina University students is 13.8% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($9,939 vs. $8,730)

Penn State Altoona vs. Coastal Carolina Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Coastal Carolina University (1009) is 16 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Coastal Carolina (22)
  • Accepted freshman Coastal Carolina students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Coastal Carolina (80.2%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Coastal Carolina Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Coastal Carolina? 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 Coastal Carolina and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Coastal Carolina University (65% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $13,100 more per year than Coastal Carolina graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,200)
  • Coastal Carolina University students graduate with a $1,888 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,930 vs. $26,818)
  • Coastal Carolina graduates are paying $20 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($257 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Coastal Carolina students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 54%)

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