Penn State Altoona vs. Penn

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

Penn State Altoona Penn
Location Altoona, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 2,577 28,201
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Penn
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $56,212
Room & Board $12,984 $17,888
Avg Net Price $20,621 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 46%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 54,588
Admitted 7,204 3,549
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 6.5%
Enrolled % 12.6% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 21/28 34/35
SAT Range 1050/1250 1500/1570
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 5, 2025

Academics

Penn State Altoona Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Penn
Graduation Rate 65% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $277 $213

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Penn
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 45%
% Black 7% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Altoona Penn
% In-State 59% 16%
% Out-of-State 35% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Pennsylvania is 265.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($56,212.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 117.4% higher at Penn than Penn State Altoona ($56,212.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Penn ($20,621 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 37.8% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($12,984 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than University of Pennsylvania (68% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 497.2% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($57,175 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 464 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.55 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Penn (6.5%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Penn State Altoona (96% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $68,300 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $6,185 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($20,633 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn graduates are paying $64 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($213 vs. $277)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 69%)

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