Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Altoona

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

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
Location Sparkill, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,033 2,577
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #567 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stac.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $35,500 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $35,500 $25,854
Room & Board $15,370 $12,984
Avg Net Price $21,745 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $29,710 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 68%

Admission

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,861 7,523
Admitted 1,649 7,204
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 95.8%
Enrolled % 14.9% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.4
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 920/1270 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 May 1, 2025

Academics

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 58% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
% Men 48% 53%
% Women 52% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 77%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 22% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

 Saint Thomas Aquinas College Penn State Altoona
% In-State 71% 59%
% Out-of-State 25% 35%

Campus

 Saint Thomas Aquinas 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 Saint Thomas Aquinas College based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 2,033 students)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Penn State Altoona?

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College is 130.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Altoona for in-state tuition ($35,500.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.3% higher at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Altoona ($35,500.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($20,621 vs. $21,745)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 18.4% lower than costs at Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($12,984 vs. $15,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Penn State Altoona (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Thomas Aquinas College students is 210.3% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($29,710 vs. $9,574)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Saint Thomas Aquinas 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 Saint Thomas Aquinas College .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 51 points higher than at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (942)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (3.0)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than Saint Thomas Aquinas College (88.6%)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Thomas Aquinas 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 Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Saint Thomas Aquinas College (65% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $7,300 more per year than Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,000)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College students graduate with a $4,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 69%)

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