Public · University

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Altoona, Pennsylvania · Small city

98.1%
Admit rate
$22,213
Avg net price
17%
Graduation rate
$63,435
Median earnings

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Altoona, Pennsylvania (small city setting), enrolling 2,367 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 2,367 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 98% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona's admitted students.

Admit rate
98.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1070–1290
Avg GPA (est.)
3.37

Enter a test score to see where you land against Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Altoona, Pennsylvania

Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. One explanation of the city's name is that the word Altoona is a derivative of the Latin word altus, meaning high. Historically, the sole economic force driving the growth of Altoona into a city was the Pennsylvania Railroad. While the various local railroad shops still employ over a thousand people, they are no longer the driving economic engine of the area as they once were. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
To the ocean
130 miles
Nearest airport
18 miles to Altoona Blair County (AOO)

How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona compares

Selectivity98.1%

More selective than 7% · #105 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1187

Higher than 54%

Graduation rate17%

Higher than 4% · #113 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention80%

Higher than 61%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$63,435

Higher than 75% · #33 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$22,213

Cheaper than 40% · #47 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment2,367

Larger than 62%

Percentiles compare Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,367undergrads
  • Women1,18650%
  • Men1,18150%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black7.9%
  • Hispanic9.5%
  • Asian4.8%
  • Other or multiracial9.5%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,367
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
29%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$61,924
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$85,419
Endowment
$46,075,310

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
98.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1070–1290
SAT average
1187
SAT reading
530–650
SAT math
540–640
ACT composite
22–28
Average GPA (estimated)
3.37

Cost

In-state tuition
$15,972
Out-of-state tuition
$26,958
Room & board
$14,474
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$32,559
Average net price
$22,213

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
17%
Graduated on time (4 years)
12%
First-year retention
80%
Transferred to another college
45%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$55,620
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$63,435
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
54%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
64%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
12%
Low-income (Pell)
49%
First-generation
52%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
889
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
38%
Housing charge (year)
$8,508
Meal plan (year)
$5,312
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
253 (144 men · 109 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Soccer50
Baseball36
Volleyball36
Basketball31
Swimming29
Tennis23
Golf21
Softball17
Wrestling10

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
21
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,371 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

9.0reported offenses a year
7.0 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.0
Fondling
2.7
Burglary
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$16,017
$30–48k
$16,546
$48–75k
$19,464
$75–110k
$23,562
$110k+
$28,263

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$85,164

$19,464/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

62%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,418
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 62% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,418. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 897 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$63,435
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
39%
Out-earn a HS grad
70%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$56,403
Men
$70,839

Men out-earn women by $14,436 (26%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
81°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
44.7″
Annual snow
38.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.24.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Altoona 3 W, PA US station (4.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona side by side →

Colleges near Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.