Penn State Altoona vs. SVU

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

 Penn State Altoona SVU
Location Altoona, PA Buena Vista, VA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,421 967
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #618
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu svu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona SVU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $19,790
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $19,790
Room & Board $13,820 $9,376
Avg Net Price $22,506 $25,440
Avg Grant Aid $8,730 $7,775
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona SVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,134 1,101
Admitted 6,942 1,097
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 99.6%
Enrolled % 12.4% 26.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.19
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 18/25
SAT Range 1050/1260 943/1253
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 SVU
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 (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Work and Family Studies (12%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona SVU
Graduation Rate 65% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,654
Median Loan Payment $277 $244

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona SVU
% Men 0% 31%
% Women 0% 29%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 80%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 2% 7%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Penn State Altoona SVU
% In-State 59% 12%
% Out-of-State 35% 73%

Campus

 Penn State Altoona SVU
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 SVU based on total student enrollment (2,421 students vs. 967 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. SVU Cost Comparison

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

  • Southern Virginia University is 28.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($19,790.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.9% higher at Penn State Altoona than Southern Virginia University ($26,112.00 vs. $19,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than SVU ($22,506 vs. $25,440)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern Virginia University are 47.4% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($9,376 vs. $13,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Virginia University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 12.3% larger than aid received Southern Virginia University ($8,730 vs. $7,775)

Penn State Altoona vs. SVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Southern Virginia University (1041) is 48 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming SVU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at SVU (3.19)
  • SVU has a higher acceptance rate (99.6%) than Penn State Altoona (97.3%)

Penn State Altoona vs. SVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Southern Virginia University (65% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $14,700 more per year than SVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,600)
  • Southern Virginia University students graduate with a $3,164 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,654 vs. $26,818)
  • SVU graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($244 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SVU 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/