PennWest California vs. Penn State Berks

Should I go to PennWest California or Penn State Berks? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Penn State Berks 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. Penn State Berks comparison
PennWest California Penn State Berks College 3 College 4
PennWest California Penn State Berks
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Overview

PennWest California Penn State Berks
Location California, PA Reading, PA
Setting Town Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,509 2,077
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #657
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $25,854
Room & Board $10,416 $14,334
Avg Net Price - $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $0 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 66%

Admission

PennWest California Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 5,605
Admitted - 5,453
Acceptance Rate 97.3%
Enrolled % 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 23/28
SAT Range 940/1150 1090/1290
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2024

Academics

PennWest California Penn State Berks
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%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 53% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

PennWest California Penn State Berks
% Men 39% 59%
% Women 61% 41%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 68%
% Black 12% 9%
% Hispanic 3% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

PennWest California Penn State Berks
% In-State 86% 64%
% Out-of-State 13% 30%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 2,077 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Penn State Berks?

  • Penn State Berks is 99.4% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 123.4% higher at Penn State Berks than PennWest California ($25,854.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 37.6% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($10,416 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than PennWest California (66% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Berks students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($8,528 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Berks (978) is 56 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Berks students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Berks students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Penn State Berks? 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 Penn State Berks and PennWest California.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Berks is higher than PennWest California (55% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $12,800 more per year than PennWest California graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,500)
  • PennWest California students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Berks graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest California students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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