Penn State Altoona vs. JMU

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

Penn State Altoona JMU
Location Altoona, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 22,224
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #260
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona JMU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $24,744
Room & Board $12,984 $12,040
Avg Net Price $20,621 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 33%

Admission

Penn State Altoona JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 30,727
Admitted 7,204 24,062
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 78.3%
Enrolled % 12.6% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/29
SAT Range 1050/1250 1140/1320
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 15, 2025

Academics

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

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona JMU
Graduation Rate 65% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $60,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,899
Median Loan Payment $277 $216

Diversity

Penn State Altoona JMU
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 76%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Altoona JMU
% In-State 59% 73%
% Out-of-State 35% 26%

Campus

Penn State Altoona JMU
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

  • James Madison University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (22,224 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. JMU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 100.3% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.5% higher at Penn State Altoona than James Madison University ($25,854.00 vs. $24,744.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at James Madison University than Penn State Altoona ($18,274 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at James Madison University are 7.8% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,040 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than James Madison University (68% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by James Madison University students is 5.3% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($10,081 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 141 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming JMU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman JMU students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than JMU (78.3%)

Penn State Altoona vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or JMU? 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 JMU and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Penn State Altoona (81% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $55,300)
  • James Madison University students graduate with a $5,919 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,818)
  • JMU graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($216 vs. $277)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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