Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania · Public · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $22,213What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 98%
- Graduation rate
- 17%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 2,367
- In-state tuition
- $15,972Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $26,958
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $63,435Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$22,2131/5
Better than 7% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
17%1/5
Better than 1% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$63,4354/5
Better than 74% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$25,0001/5
Better than 9% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$32,559
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$22,213
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 17% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 80% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $25,000 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $63,435 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $84,050 | 5 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $77,955 | 72 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $73,941 | 9 |
| Civil Engineering | $67,966 | 8 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | $65,043 | 32 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $63,425 | 11 |
| Mathematics | $59,629 | 1 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $45,795 | 25 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $45,110 | 27 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $43,324 | 4 |
| Political Science and Government | $41,201 | 3 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $37,834 | 3 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $37,330 | 8 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $37,240 | 16 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $34,181 | 9 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $34,030 | 10 |
| Biology, General | $33,417 | 7 |
| Psychology, General | $32,408 | 14 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $30,133 | 12 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $29,848 | 3 |
| History | $28,803 | 5 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $25,702 | 4 |
All 22 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
Similar colleges
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
Reading, PA
Also a public four-year college in PA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoPennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington
Abington, PA
Also a public four-year college in PA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoUniversity of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Johnstown, PA
Also a public four-year college in PA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoLincoln University
Lincoln University, PA
Also a public four-year college in PA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two