WSU vs. Penn State Altoona

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

WSU Penn State Altoona
Location Detroit, MI Altoona, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 23,630 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #582 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wayne.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WSU Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $12,933 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $29,622 $25,854
Room & Board $11,321 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,347 $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $10,605 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 68%

Admission

WSU Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,002 7,523
Admitted 10,547 7,204
Acceptance Rate 75.3% 95.8%
Enrolled % 24.4% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 21/28
SAT Range 1040/1260 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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

WSU Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

WSU Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 26% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 38% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,258 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $230 $277

Diversity

WSU Penn State Altoona
% Men 40% 53%
% Women 60% 47%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 77%
% Black 19% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

WSU Penn State Altoona
% In-State 93% 59%
% Out-of-State 3% 35%

Campus

WSU 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

  • Wayne State University is larger than than Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (23,630 students vs. 2,577 students)

WSU vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 19% more expensive to attend than WSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,933.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.6% higher at WSU than Penn State Altoona ($29,622.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wayne State University than Penn State Altoona ($15,347 vs. $20,621)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 14.7% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($11,321 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than Penn State Altoona (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wayne State University students is 10.8% larger than aid received Penn State Altoona ($10,605 vs. $9,574)

WSU vs. Penn State Altoona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, WSU 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 WSU .

  • The average SAT score at Wayne State University (1070) is 77 points higher than at Penn State Altoona (993)
  • Incoming WSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Altoona (22)
  • Accepted freshman WSU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Penn State Altoona (3.4)
  • Penn State Altoona has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than WSU (75.3%)

WSU vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WSU 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 WSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than Wayne State University (65% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona earn on average $4,300 more per year than WSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,000)
  • Wayne State University students graduate with a $4,560 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($22,258 vs. $26,818)
  • WSU graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($230 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 38%)

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