Penn State Altoona vs. WVU

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

Penn State Altoona WVU
Location Altoona, PA Morgantown, WV
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 2,577 24,741
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #559
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona WVU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $9,360
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $26,568
Room & Board $12,984 $11,618
Avg Net Price $20,621 $12,202
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $11,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 94%

Admission

Penn State Altoona WVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 18,206
Admitted 7,204 16,091
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 88.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1250 1000/1220
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 WVU
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 (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona WVU
Graduation Rate 65% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $24,001
Median Loan Payment $277 $248

Diversity

Penn State Altoona WVU
% Men 53% 47%
% Women 47% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 81%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Penn State Altoona WVU
% In-State 59% 42%
% Out-of-State 35% 57%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • West Virginia University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (24,741 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 64.4% more expensive to attend than WVU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $9,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.8% higher at WVU than Penn State Altoona ($26,568.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia University than Penn State Altoona ($12,202 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia University are 11.8% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,618 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Virginia University than Penn State Altoona (94% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by West Virginia University students is 22% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($11,685 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Virginia University (1078) is 85 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming WVU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman WVU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than WVU (88.4%)

Penn State Altoona vs. WVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than West Virginia University (65% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $4,700 more per year than WVU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,600)
  • West Virginia University students graduate with a $2,817 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($24,001 vs. $26,818)
  • WVU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($248 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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