Roberts Wesleyan College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
Location Rochester, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,619 2,421
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #347 #618
Religious Affiliation Free Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website roberts.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $36,004 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $36,004 $26,112
Room & Board $12,996 $13,820
Avg Net Price $24,202 $22,506
Avg Grant Aid $26,173 $8,730
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 64%

Admission

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,314 7,134
Admitted 1,022 6,942
Acceptance Rate 77.8% 97.3%
Enrolled % 20.6% 12.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/27
SAT Range 965/1250 1050/1260
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 25, 2025

Academics

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Psychology (4%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 65% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,225 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $229 $277

Diversity

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
% Men 5% 0%
% Women 27% 0%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 74% 77%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 87% 59%
% Out-of-State 11% 35%

Campus

Roberts Wesleyan College Penn State Altoona
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 Roberts Wesleyan College based on total student enrollment (2,421 students vs. 1,619 students)

Roberts Wesleyan College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Roberts Wesleyan College is 134% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($36,004.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.9% higher at Roberts Wesleyan College than Penn State Altoona ($36,004.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Roberts Wesleyan College ($22,506 vs. $24,202)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Roberts Wesleyan College are 6.3% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($12,996 vs. $13,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Roberts Wesleyan College than Penn State Altoona (99% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Roberts Wesleyan College students is 199.8% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($26,173 vs. $8,730)

Roberts Wesleyan College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Roberts Wesleyan College (1067) is 74 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Roberts Wesleyan College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Roberts Wesleyan College students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Roberts Wesleyan College (77.8%)

Roberts Wesleyan College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Roberts Wesleyan College is the same as at Penn State Altoona (65% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $11,100 more per year than Roberts Wesleyan College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,200)
  • Roberts Wesleyan College students graduate with a $4,593 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($22,225 vs. $26,818)
  • Roberts Wesleyan College graduates are paying $48 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($229 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Roberts Wesleyan College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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