PennWest California vs. Fairmont State

Should I go to PennWest California or Fairmont State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Fairmont State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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PennWest California vs. Fairmont State University comparison
PennWest California Fairmont State University College 3 College 4
PennWest California Fairmont State University
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Overview

PennWest California Fairmont State
Location California, PA Fairmont, WV
Setting Town Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 6,509 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $15,638
Room & Board $10,416 $10,022
Avg Net Price - $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $0 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 94%

Admission

PennWest California Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,926
Admitted - 1,897
Acceptance Rate 98.5%
Enrolled % 37%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 18/23
SAT Range 940/1150 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2024

Academics

PennWest California Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 53% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $227

Diversity

PennWest California Fairmont State
% Men 39% 41%
% Women 61% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 86%
% Black 12% 5%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

PennWest California Fairmont State
% In-State 86% 88%
% Out-of-State 13% 11%

Campus

PennWest California Fairmont State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Fairmont State based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 3,498 students)

PennWest California vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Fairmont State ?

  • PennWest California is 28.1% more expensive to attend than Fairmont State for in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $6,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.1% higher at Fairmont State than PennWest California ($15,638.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 3.9% lower than costs at PennWest California ($10,022 vs. $10,416)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairmont State University than PennWest California (94% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairmont State University students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($6,547 vs. $0)

Which college is harder to get into, PennWest California or Fairmont State ? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Fairmont State or PennWest California .

  • The average SAT score at Fairmont State University (962) is 40 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Fairmont State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Fairmont State students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Fairmont State ? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Fairmont State and PennWest California.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Fairmont State University (53% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from PennWest California earn on average $4,900 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest California graduates. ($22,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest California graduates. ($227 vs. $258)
  • More PennWest California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fairmont State students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 43%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/