PennWest California vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
Location California, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,509 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $25,854
Room & Board $10,416 $14,978
Avg Net Price - $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $0 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 63%

Admission

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 9,925
Admitted - 9,483
Acceptance Rate 95.5%
Enrolled % 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 24/28
SAT Range 940/1150 1100/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2024

Academics

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 53% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 39% 60%
% Women 61% 40%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 59%
% Black 12% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

PennWest California Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 86% 46%
% Out-of-State 13% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 4,572 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg than PennWest California ($25,854.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 43.8% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($10,416 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg than PennWest California (63% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($8,882 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 121 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than PennWest California (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/