Penn State Altoona vs. YCP

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

Penn State Altoona YCP
Location Altoona, PA York, PA
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 2,577 3,656
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #584 #526
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu ycp.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Altoona YCP
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $21,070
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $21,070
Room & Board $12,984 $12,430
Avg Net Price $20,621 $20,916
Avg Grant Aid $9,574 $14,978
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 99%

Admission

Penn State Altoona YCP
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,523 4,529
Admitted 7,204 4,330
Acceptance Rate 95.8% 95.6%
Enrolled % 12.6% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.59
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/27
SAT Range 1050/1250 1020/1230
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 Aug 23, 2025

Academics

Penn State Altoona YCP
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%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Altoona YCP
Graduation Rate 65% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $50,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,495
Median Loan Payment $277 $273

Diversity

Penn State Altoona YCP
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 83%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Penn State Altoona YCP
% In-State 59% 66%
% Out-of-State 35% 33%

Campus

Penn State Altoona YCP
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

  • York College Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,656 students vs. 2,577 students)

Penn State Altoona vs. YCP Cost Comparison

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

  • York College Pennsylvania is 36.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($21,070.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.7% higher at Penn State Altoona than York College Pennsylvania ($25,854.00 vs. $21,070.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than YCP ($20,621 vs. $20,916)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at York College Pennsylvania are 4.5% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,430 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at York College Pennsylvania than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by York College Pennsylvania students is 56.4% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($14,978 vs. $9,574)

Penn State Altoona vs. YCP Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at York College Pennsylvania (1054) is 61 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming YCP students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman YCP students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than YCP (95.6%)

Penn State Altoona vs. YCP Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than York College Pennsylvania (65% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $4,600 more per year than YCP graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,700)
  • York College Pennsylvania students graduate with a $323 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($26,495 vs. $26,818)
  • YCP graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($273 vs. $277)
  • More YCP graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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