Penn State Altoona vs. Ursinus College

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

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
Location Altoona, PA Collegeville, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 1,527
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #214
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu ursinus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $58,016
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $58,016
Room & Board $12,984 $14,624
Avg Net Price $20,621 $33,546
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $40,075
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 3,237
Admitted 7,204 2,661
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 82.2%
Enrolled % 12.6% 14.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.53
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Very High
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 28/32
SAT Range 1050/1250 1180/1380
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Biology (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
Graduation Rate 65% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
% Men 53% 52%
% Women 47% 48%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 74%
% Black 7% 6%
% 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 Ursinus College
% In-State 59% 63%
% Out-of-State 35% 36%

Campus

Penn State Altoona Ursinus College
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 Ursinus College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,527 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. Ursinus College Cost Comparison

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

  • Ursinus College is 277% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($58,016.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 124.4% higher at Ursinus College than Penn State Altoona ($58,016.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Ursinus College ($20,621 vs. $33,546)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 12.6% lower than costs at Ursinus College ($12,984 vs. $14,624)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ursinus College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ursinus College students is 318.6% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($40,075 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. Ursinus College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Ursinus College students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Ursinus College (82.2%)

Penn State Altoona vs. Ursinus College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Ursinus College is higher than Penn State Altoona (80% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Ursinus College earn on average $2,700 more per year than Penn State Altoona graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Altoona students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Ursinus College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Altoona graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Ursinus College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Ursinus College 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/