by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Published attendance costs at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona ranged from $31,725.00 ranging to $42,711.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
Where you live mattered — in-state students paid less than out-of-state students: about $31,725.00 in-state against $42,711.00 for out-of-state students.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $15,972.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,753.00 |
| Total cost | $31,725.00 |
| That is 65% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $31,725.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,346.00 |
| Net price | $21,379.00 |
| That is 11% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $31,725.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,542.00 |
| Net price | $15,183.00 |
| That is 21% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $26,958.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,753.00 |
| Total cost | $42,711.00 |
| That is 122% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $42,711.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,346.00 |
| Net price | $32,365.00 |
| That is 68% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $42,711.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,542.00 |
| Net price | $26,169.00 |
| That is 36% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by roughly 1.7% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $15,447.00 | $21,751.00 | $32,278.00 |
| Senior year | $16,269.00 | $22,908.00 | $33,994.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $63,423.00 | $89,305.00 | $132,523.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $24,162.00 | $34,022.00 | $50,486.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $730.00 | $1,028.00 | $1,525.00 |
| Total amount paid | $87,585.00 | $123,327.00 | $183,009.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $15,447.00 | $21,751.00 | $32,278.00 |
| Senior year | $15,717.00 | $22,130.00 | $32,840.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $31,164.00 | $43,882.00 | $65,117.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,872.00 | $16,717.00 | $24,807.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $359.00 | $505.00 | $749.00 |
| Total amount paid | $43,036.00 | $60,599.00 | $89,925.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $26,625.00 | $32,929.00 | $43,455.00 |
| Senior year | $28,040.00 | $34,680.00 | $45,765.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $109,314.00 | $135,196.00 | $178,414.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $41,645.00 | $51,505.00 | $67,969.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,258.00 | $1,556.00 | $2,053.00 |
| Total amount paid | $150,959.00 | $186,701.00 | $246,383.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $26,625.00 | $32,929.00 | $43,455.00 |
| Senior year | $27,089.00 | $33,502.00 | $44,212.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $53,713.00 | $66,431.00 | $87,667.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,463.00 | $25,308.00 | $33,398.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $618.00 | $764.00 | $1,009.00 |
| Total amount paid | $74,176.00 | $91,739.00 | $121,065.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net price section below.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $22,213.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $24,704.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $17,269.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $17,288.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $21,857.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,446.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,543.00 |
Use Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
Median graduate debt at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona stands at $19,500.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,750.00 |
| 25th | $8,750.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $34,000.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt page.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,000.00 |
| Middle income | $20,000.00 |
| High income | $19,700.00 |
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500.00 |
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona amounts to $1,480.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The default-rate classification at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.4% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona reach $4,885,479,531.00 across 238,368 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 50 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $15,020.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 1 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,750.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Altoona, consider the following:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.