Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Public · Moderately Selective · PA

Photo: Noah Barger (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,367

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate12.4%

6-yr grad rate16.5%

Drop-out rate20.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$27k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity31.6%

Gender diversity46.3%

International4.6%

Identity—

Overview

Penn State Altoona is one of Penn State's commonwealth campuses, located in the Allegheny Mountains of central Pennsylvania. It is among the larger and more residential of the branch campuses, offering a number of complete four-year degrees on-site in addition to the common two-year path that feeds into University Park.

Academics

Students can complete select bachelor's degrees entirely at Altoona, while many others follow the standard commonwealth-campus route of starting locally and finishing their major at University Park. Engineering, business, and health-related fields are among the programs offered, taught in smaller sections than the flagship campus typically provides.

Campus & student life

Altoona itself is a historic railroad city, and the campus sits near the Horseshoe Curve, a National Historic Landmark and still-active rail line. The campus has more on-site housing and student life infrastructure than most Penn State branch locations, giving it a more traditional residential feel.

Worth knowing

The 2+2 pathway to University Park is a real and common route here, so a student's eventual degree and campus experience may span both locations rather than staying at Altoona for all four years — worth planning around depending on which majors are offered on-site.

altoona.psu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate98.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1070–1290 · ACT 22–28

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying