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Second from Ashcroft, CressonPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Colleges in and near Cresson Township

Cresson Township is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

Mount Aloysius College (2,880 students on campus) is inside the town, and Saint Francis University (2,421) is 5 miles from the center, in Loretto. Across Pennsylvania, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsMount Aloysius CollegeSaint Francis University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Cresson Township. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
7,831 students on campus
Nearest college
1.2 mi
Mount Aloysius College
Residents in college
22%
Above PA (6%)
Nearest community college
18.5 mi
Pennsylvania Highlands · $7,110 tuition
Nearest public university
11.2 mi
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona · $15,972 in-state
Students on campus in Cresson Township
2,880
next to 2,809 residents

What stands out about college in Cresson Township

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town22 of every 100 Cresson Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.Two colleges within 5 milesMount Aloysius College admits 82% of applicants; Saint Francis University admits 77%. Together they have 5,301 students on campus.In-state price at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State AltoonaLiving in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona charges $15,972 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $26,958. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 18.5 miles awayPennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown: tuition and fees $7,110 a year for Pennsylvania residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Cresson Township

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

22 of every 100 Cresson Township residents are in college (PA: 6).

2,880students on campus at Mount Aloysius College, next to 2,809 residents (dorm students count as residents)
115college students live in Cresson Township households rather than dorms
44.0median age · PA 40.9
54%of residents are women · PA 51% (±4 points)
28%of homes rented · PA 31%
$413median rent · 66% below the state
Cresson TownshipCresson Township, PA
Cost of living$413/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIAHealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Cresson Township’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 15.0% of Cresson Township residents are below the poverty line, 15.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 10% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living A−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Cresson Township’s median age is 44.0 (Pennsylvania 40.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Cresson Township

Three private colleges within 9.9 miles, and one public college within 11.2 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miMount Aloysius CollegeSaint Francis UniversityCresson Township
University or collegeCommunity college
Mount Aloysius CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,880 on campus · In Cresson Township82%admitted$22knet price57%graduate$46kearningsSaint Francis UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,421 on campus · 5 mi · Loretto77%admitted$24knet price74%graduate$62kearningsYTI Career Institute-AltoonaUniversity or college · For-profit · 112 on campus · 9.9 mi · Altoona$21knet price29%graduate$30kearningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State AltoonaUniversity or college · Public · 2,418 on campus · 11.2 mi · Altoona98%admitted$22knet price16%graduate$63kearningsEarnings are reported for all 22 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Cresson Township’s median household income ($61,875) falls.

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona11.2 mi · Altoona · sticker $32,559$19,464a year
Mount Aloysius CollegeIn Cresson Township · sticker $40,435$19,770a year
YTI Career Institute-Altoona9.9 mi · Altoona · sticker $24,874$21,022a year
Saint Francis University5 mi · Loretto · sticker $59,815$22,677a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Cresson Township: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Mount Aloysius CollegeSaint Francis UniversityYTI Career Institute-Altoona
Mount Aloysius College57% graduate$46k earnings$24k typical debt
Saint Francis University74% graduate$62k earnings$27k typical debt
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona16% graduate$63k earnings*$25k typical debt
YTI Career Institute-Altoona29% graduate$30k earnings

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona (22).

Majors

What students study in Cresson Township

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Mount Aloysius College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 66%Business 12%Computer science 5%Education 3%Biology 3%Public safety 3%Everything else 7%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing46 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations19 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions10 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services4 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Cresson Township

Is Cresson Township a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Cresson Township residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Pennsylvania. Mount Aloysius College has 2,880 students on campus, next to 2,809 residents.

What colleges are in Cresson Township?

Mount Aloysius College is inside the town. Saint Francis University is 5 miles from the center, in Loretto, and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is 18.5 miles away in Johnstown.

What is the closest community college to Cresson Township, and what does it cost?

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown, 18.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,110 a year for Pennsylvania residents; the federal net price, $6,200, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Mount Aloysius College?

Mount Aloysius College admitted 82% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 918–1,168 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cresson Township. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →