Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania · Also known as Penn State · Website
$63,435
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$63,435
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona is a public 4-year college in Altoona, Pennsylvania with 2,367 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $22,213 a year (tuition and fees $15,972 in-state, $26,958 out-of-state). It admits 98% of applicants and 17% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $63,435 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $25,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$22,213
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,972
Out-of-state $26,958
Admission rate
98%
US median 78%
Completion rate
17%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$25,000
About $265 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$63,435
Rank 590 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $22,213
- Tuition in-state
- $15,972
- Tuition out-of-state
- $26,958
- Cost of attendance
- $32,559
- Students with a need-based grant
- 29%
- Students with federal loans
- 54%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $16,017
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $16,546
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $19,464
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $23,562
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $28,263
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $14,610 in 2015-16 to $15,972 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 98%
- Average SAT
- 1,187
- Undergraduates
- 2,367
- Part-time students
- 2.3%
- Women
- 46%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 17%
- Retention rate
- 80%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 30
- Endowment
- $46.1M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 590 of 5,094 US colleges and 53 of 270 in Pennsylvania (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | PA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $22,213 | $19,970 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,972 | $19,182 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 98% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 17% | 66% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 80% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $17,500 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $55,620 | $42,275 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $63,435 | $49,700 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 68% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 80% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
30 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $23,250 | $77,955 | $91,032 | $88,910 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | $27,000 | $65,043 | $81,835 | $84,304 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $25,593 | $45,110 | $65,292 | $68,407 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $26,000 | $45,795 | $53,362 | $47,382 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | $25,500 | $37,240 | $56,877 | $55,378 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $26,000 | $32,408 | $49,543 | $50,706 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 12 | $26,000 | $75,635 | $102,874 | $52,615 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | $26,940 | $30,133 | $67,399 | $54,562 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $25,218 | $63,425 | $88,192 | $76,194 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | $27,000 | $34,030 | $45,943 | $48,568 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $25,000 | $34,181 | $55,505 | $56,359 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $26,000 | $73,941 | $98,637 | $85,063 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | $26,000 | $37,330 | $60,193 | $55,012 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | $26,000 | $67,966 | $81,403 | $86,517 |
| Engineering, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 7 | $27,000 | $62,026 | Withheld | $79,019 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | $25,717 | $33,417 | $64,910 | $57,214 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | $25,000 | $84,050 | $120,729 | $92,374 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | $26,000 | $28,803 | $52,871 | $50,680 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | $24,225 | $25,702 | $45,170 | $41,688 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | $25,625 | $43,324 | $58,105 | $51,490 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | $25,000 | $29,848 | $50,299 | $48,590 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | $26,500 | $37,834 | $58,195 | $53,072 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | $25,000 | $41,201 | $68,918 | $63,293 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 2 | $17,701 | $44,626 | $61,596 | $49,927 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Altoona and Pennsylvania on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Pennsylvania
- Homes: Homes for sale in Pennsylvania
Questions and answers
How much does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona cost?
$22,213 a year is the average net price at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,972 for in-state students and $26,958 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $32,559. Families earning under $30,000 pay $16,017 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona?
98% of applicants are admitted to Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,187. The median admission rate of colleges in Pennsylvania is 81%.
How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona graduates earn?
$63,435 a year is the median pay of former Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona students who work, 10 years after they started ($55,620 after 6 years). That ranks 590 of 5,094 US colleges and 53 of 270 in Pennsylvania. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's) at $84,050.
How much student debt do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona graduates have?
$25,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona graduates, about $265 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 54% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona?
17% of first-time, full-time students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona finish within 6 years. 80% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (72 bachelor's graduates), Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians (32 bachelor's graduates), Business/Commerce, General (27 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 30 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.