SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Altoona

Should I go to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry or Penn State Altoona? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY-ESF 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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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry vs. Penn State Altoona comparison
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Penn State Altoona College 3 College 4
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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Overview

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
Location Syracuse, NY Altoona, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 1,976 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #206 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website esf.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $18,720 $25,854
Room & Board $17,300 $12,984
Avg Net Price $20,928 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $8,713 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 68%

Admission

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,466 7,523
Admitted 1,714 7,204
Acceptance Rate 69.5% 95.8%
Enrolled % 20.8% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.4
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 21/28
SAT Range 1130/1300 1050/1250
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (38%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (37%)
  • Architecture (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Construction Trades (4%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 66% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $204 $277

Diversity

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
% Men 49% 53%
% Women 51% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 77%
% Black 1% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 SUNY-ESF Penn State Altoona
% In-State 76% 59%
% Out-of-State 23% 35%

Campus

 SUNY-ESF 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 SUNY-ESF based on total student enrollment (2,577 students vs. 1,976 students)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY-ESF or Penn State Altoona?

  • Penn State Altoona is 117.7% more expensive to attend than SUNY-ESF for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.1% higher at Penn State Altoona than SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($25,854.00 vs. $18,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Altoona than SUNY-ESF ($20,621 vs. $20,928)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Altoona are 33.2% lower than costs at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($12,984 vs. $17,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry than Penn State Altoona (89% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is 9.9% larger than aid received SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($9,574 vs. $8,713)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SUNY-ESF 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 SUNY-ESF .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (1215) is 222 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming SUNY-ESF students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY-ESF students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than SUNY-ESF (69.5%)

SUNY-ESF vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY-ESF 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 SUNY-ESF.

  • The graduation rate at SUNY-ESF is higher than Penn State Altoona (66% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $9,100 more per year than SUNY-ESF graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,200)
  • SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students graduate with a $7,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY-ESF graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More SUNY-ESF graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Altoona students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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