Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
Looking for Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA)? This page covers Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona in Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States.
Graduation rate: 15.9% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of the normal time (CollegesRef 2026–27 edition). 79.5% return for a second year. Median earnings: $71,762 a year for former students who received federal aid, ten years after they started college.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona has 34 programs with reported graduate earnings. The highest is Computer and Information Sciences, General (bachelor's), where graduates earn a median $120,729 four years after finishing, against $85,000 for the same field nationally.
Federal data from IPEDS and the U.S. College Scorecard, not student reviews.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Transfer-out rate
First-time, full-time students who transferred to another college
Median earnings
$71,762
Former students who received federal aid
What Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona graduates earn against what they borrow and what the degree costs after grants.
| Latest official data | This college | Similar colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Median earningsFormer students, 10 years after startingSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | $71,762 | $71,762 |
| Typical federal debtGraduates who borrowed; about $278 a month on a 10-year planSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | $24,500 | $24,500 |
| Years to pay back4 years of average net price ($21,714 a year), paid with 10% of median earningsSource: U.S. College Scorecard, latest data | 12.1 years | 9.3 years |
Similar colleges: the median of 36 public four-year colleges in Pennsylvania with the same figures reported. Payback is illustrative: it ignores interest, taxes and living costs, and earnings vary by major. Check a loan payment against earnings.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, latest data
Median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, one and four years after finishing, and the median federal loan debt they borrowed at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona. The field median is the middle value for the same field and credential across every college that reports it. 2 more programs have too few graduates for earnings to be published.
Highest-earning programs
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 8 | $84,461 | $120,729 | $85,00042% above | $22,250 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 5 | $73,501 | $98,637 | $80,32223% above | $26,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 58 | $82,877 | $91,032 | $86,0206% above | $23,749 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 12 | $64,480 | $88,192 | $73,05421% above | $25,000 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 26 | $71,604 | $81,835 | $88,9118% below | $26,730 |
| Civil Engineering | 9 | $70,399 | $81,403 | $85,1154% below | $25,000 |
| Mathematics | 4 | $67,059 | $77,336 | $70,6289% above | $23,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 1 | $63,116 | $73,308 | $87,11916% below | $23,074 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 1 | $40,786 | $69,102 | $59,85715% above | $23,601 |
| Political Science and Government | 1 | $46,124 | $68,918 | $61,61312% above | $23,250 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 7 | $38,359 | $67,399 | $53,02427% above | $25,526 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 35 | $52,236 | $65,292 | $64,0162% above | $23,873 |
| Biology, General | 13 | $38,378 | $64,910 | $57,55813% above | $23,250 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 5 | $47,703 | $60,193 | $54,62710% above | $21,500 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 2 | $34,927 | $58,195 | $52,02012% above | $24,179 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 2 | $41,905 | $58,105 | $52,72710% above | $22,648 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 17 | $41,573 | $56,877 | $54,4694% above | $24,180 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 10 | $45,444 | $55,505 | $53,8253% above | $22,488 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 21 | $44,879 | $53,362 | $47,73012% above | $26,000 |
| History | 2 | $37,190 | $52,871 | $50,3875% above | $21,921 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 4 | $35,537 | $50,299 | $48,7733% above | $23,361 |
| Psychology, General | 21 | $37,593 | $49,543 | $50,0661% below | $23,642 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 13 | $38,150 | $45,943 | $47,2693% below | $26,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 1 | N/A | $45,170 | $41,11310% above | N/A |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 2 | $38,044 | $61,596 | $49,13425% above | $13,687 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 0 | $58,264 | $57,997 | $67,97315% below | N/A |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | $39,818 | $54,654 | $42,77428% above | $16,000 |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 1 | $95,718 | $108,264 | $72,12950% above | $18,750 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 15 | $72,546 | $102,874 | $60,30571% above | $26,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | $60,044 | $93,527 | $44,022112% above | $23,750 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 0 | $65,324 | $81,794 | $62,02732% above | $26,000 |
| Engineering, General | 4 | $74,477 | N/A | $76,6143% below | N/A |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 2 | $59,098 | $63,384 | $56,82112% above | N/A |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 1 | $52,980 | N/A | $52,9100% above | $26,945 |
Careers linked to the programs Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona reports, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for the whole occupation, not for this college's graduates.
Healthcare practitioners
Master's degree
Via Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business/Commerce, General, Finance and Financial Management Services and 1 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business/Commerce, General, Finance and Financial Management Services and 1 more
Science
Master's degree
Via Psychology, General
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Computer and Information Sciences, General, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management and 1 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Engineering, General, Civil Engineering
Every field of study, with the colleges that offer it and what graduates earn.
Programs A–ZVerified facts
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