Penn State Altoona vs. Old Dominion

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

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Location Altoona, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 2,421 22,541
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #618 #558
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu odu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,590
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $27,465
Room & Board $13,820 $14,592
Avg Net Price $22,506 $16,150
Avg Grant Aid $8,730 $10,006
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 94%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,134 15,216
Admitted 6,942 13,773
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 90.5%
Enrolled % 12.4% 19.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 22/27
SAT Range 1050/1260 1110/1290
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Graduation Rate 65% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 47%
% Black 7% 27%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
% In-State 59% 89%
% Out-of-State 35% 6%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Old Dominion
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Old Dominion University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (22,541 students vs. 2,421 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Old Dominion Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Altoona or Old Dominion?

  • Penn State Altoona is 102.7% more expensive to attend than Old Dominion for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,590.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.2% higher at Old Dominion than Penn State Altoona ($27,465.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Old Dominion University than Penn State Altoona ($16,150 vs. $22,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 5.6% lower than costs at Old Dominion University ($13,820 vs. $14,592)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Old Dominion University than Penn State Altoona (94% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Old Dominion University students is 14.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($10,006 vs. $8,730)

Penn State Altoona vs. Old Dominion Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Old Dominion University (1020) is 27 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Old Dominion (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Old Dominion (3.3)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Old Dominion (90.5%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Old Dominion Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Altoona or Old Dominion? 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 Old Dominion and Penn State Altoona.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Old Dominion University (65% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $7,700 more per year than Old Dominion graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,600)
  • Old Dominion University students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Old Dominion graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Old Dominion students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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