{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"CollegeOrUniversity","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-11","license":"Free to reuse with attribution: cite \"EducationGuide.com\" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona","pages":{"overview":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona","admissions":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona/admissions","cost":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona/cost","majors":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona/majors"},"ids":{"ipeds_unitid":214689,"slug":"pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-altoona"},"name":"Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona","abbreviation":null,"city":"Altoona","state":"PA","latitude":40.541759,"longitude":-78.409601,"control":"Public","website":"https://altoona.psu.edu/","founded":1939,"degree_mix":{"label":"4-year","bachelors_share":0.906,"awards":{"bachelors":278,"associate":5,"certificates":24},"year":"2023-24","source":"IPEDS Completions"},"meets_core_data_standard":true,"admissions":{"acceptance_rate":0.981,"sat_reading_writing_25_75":[530,650],"sat_math_25_75":[540,640],"sat_total_25_75_approx":[1070,1290],"act_composite_25_75":[22,28],"entering_class":"Fall 2024","source":"College Scorecard","counts":{"applicants":7134,"admitted":6942,"enrolled":859,"yield":0.124,"test_policy":"considered but not required","submitted_sat_pct":27,"submitted_act_pct":3,"entering_class":"Fall 2023","source":"IPEDS Admissions"},"history":[{"entering_class":"Fall 2024","acceptance_rate":0.981,"sat_reading_writing_25_75":[530,650],"sat_math_25_75":[540,640],"act_composite_25_75":[22,28],"source":"College Scorecard"},{"entering_class":"Fall 2023","acceptance_rate":0.973,"sat_reading_writing_25_75":[530,630],"sat_math_25_75":[520,630],"act_composite_25_75":[22,27],"source":"IPEDS Admissions"}],"admitted_students":[],"admitted_students_note":"Middle 50% from state-system or school publications; each entry's population says ADMITTED (preferred for judging chances) or ENROLLED (entering students, e.g. Virginia SCHEV, adds GPA that federal data lacks). 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BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"major":"Nursing","cip4":"51.38","career":"Registered nurse","soc":"29-1140","median_wage_metro":82410,"metro":"Altoona, PA","median_wage_state":96430,"median_wage_us":97550,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":5.6,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"location":{"metro":"Altoona, PA","county":"Blair County","price_level_vs_us":0.895,"housing_price_level_vs_us":0.55,"fair_market_rent_1br":959,"fair_market_rent_2br":1151,"climate":{"janHigh":33.8,"janLow":18.8,"julHigh":81.4,"julLow":61.3,"precip":44.72,"snow":38.1},"natural_hazard_risk":{"overall":"Relatively Low","hurricane":"Relatively Low","tornado":"Relatively Low","wildfire":"Very Low","riverFlood":"Relatively Moderate","coastalFlood":"Not Applicable","heat":"Relatively Low","winter":"Relatively High"},"county_profile":{"population":121277,"income":62382,"age":43.1,"bachelors":24.415228262623003,"rent":885},"source":"BEA Regional Price Parities 2024; HUD FMR FY2027; NOAA 1991-2020 normals; FEMA National Risk Index; Census ACS 5-year 2024"},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.25,"finished_in_4_years":0.1371,"finished_within_6_years":0.1753,"cohort":1255,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":35797,"geography":"PA","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":14977,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":63435,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":16017,"cost_to_finish":68072,"payback_years":2.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.5 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":16546,"cost_to_finish":70321,"payback_years":2.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.5 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":19464,"cost_to_finish":82722,"payback_years":3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.0 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":23562,"cost_to_finish":100139,"payback_years":3.6,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.6 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":28263,"cost_to_finish":120118,"payback_years":4.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.3 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; 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