Penn State Altoona vs. Jefferson

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

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
Location Altoona, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 2,421 8,315
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #618
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jefferson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $44,400
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $44,400
Room & Board $13,820 $17,246
Avg Net Price $22,506 $29,097
Avg Grant Aid $8,730 $33,063
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,134 6,084
Admitted 6,942 5,241
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 86.1%
Enrolled % 12.4% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.73
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27 27/32
SAT Range 1050/1260 1150/1350
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 Jul 31, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
Graduation Rate 65% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $12,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $129

Diversity

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
% Men 0% 15%
% Women 0% 40%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 72%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 Penn State Altoona Jefferson
% In-State 59% 68%
% Out-of-State 35% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Thomas Jefferson University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (8,315 students vs. 2,421 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Jefferson Cost Comparison

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

  • Thomas Jefferson University is 188.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($44,400.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 70% higher at Jefferson than Penn State Altoona ($44,400.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Jefferson ($22,506 vs. $29,097)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 24.8% lower than costs at Thomas Jefferson University ($13,820 vs. $17,246)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Thomas Jefferson University than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Thomas Jefferson University students is 278.7% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($33,063 vs. $8,730)

Penn State Altoona vs. Jefferson Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Jefferson students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Jefferson (86.1%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Jefferson Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Thomas Jefferson University earn on average $67,600 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $55,300)
  • Thomas Jefferson University students graduate with a $14,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($12,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Jefferson graduates are paying $148 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($129 vs. $277)
  • More Jefferson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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