Fisher vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
Location Rochester, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,621 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #205 #584
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sjfc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $36,748 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $36,748 $25,854
Room & Board $13,666 $12,984
Avg Net Price $28,312 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $22,155 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,200 7,523
Admitted 3,068 7,204
Acceptance Rate 73% 95.8%
Enrolled % 21% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/29 21/28
SAT Range 1090/1260 1050/1250
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

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 73% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,900 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $247 $277

Diversity

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 84% 77%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Fisher Penn State Altoona
% In-State 94% 59%
% Out-of-State 6% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Saint John Fisher College is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (3,621 students vs. 2,577 students)

Fisher vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Saint John Fisher College is 138.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($36,748.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 42.1% higher at Fisher than Penn State Altoona ($36,748.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Fisher ($20,621 vs. $28,312)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 5.3% lower than costs at Saint John Fisher College ($12,984 vs. $13,666)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint John Fisher College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint John Fisher College students is 131.4% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($22,155 vs. $9,574)

Fisher vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Fisher 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 Fisher .

  • The average SAT score at Saint John Fisher College (1087) is 94 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming Fisher students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman Fisher 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 Fisher (73%)

Fisher vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Fisher 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 Fisher.

  • The graduation rate at Fisher is higher than Penn State Altoona (73% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $4,500 more per year than Fisher graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,800)
  • Saint John Fisher College students graduate with a $2,918 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($23,900 vs. $26,818)
  • Fisher graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($247 vs. $277)
  • More Fisher graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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