PennWest Clarion vs. Fairmont State

Should I go to PennWest Clarion or Fairmont State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest Clarion 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 Clarion vs. Fairmont State University comparison
PennWest Clarion Fairmont State University College 3 College 4
Fairmont State University
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Overview

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
Location Clarion, PA Fairmont, WV
Setting Remote Town Distant Town
Enrollment 3,922 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $15,638
Room & Board $12,930 $10,022
Avg Net Price - $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $0 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 94%

Admission

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,926
Admitted - 1,897
Acceptance Rate 98.5%
Enrolled % 37%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/23
SAT Range 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 49% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $227

Diversity

PennWest Clarion Fairmont State
% Men 28% 41%
% Women 72% 59%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 86%
% Black 8% 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 Clarion Fairmont State
% In-State 94% 88%
% Out-of-State 5% 11%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than Fairmont State based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 3,498 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

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

  • PennWest Clarion 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 Clarion ($15,638.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 29% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($10,022 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairmont State University than PennWest Clarion (94% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairmont State University students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($6,547 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Fairmont State University (962) is 28 points higher than at PennWest Clarion (934)
  • Incoming Fairmont State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest Clarion (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Fairmont State (3.36)

PennWest Clarion vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion 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 Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest Clarion is higher than Fairmont State University (49% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from PennWest Clarion earn on average $1,600 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($39,200 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $4,000 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($22,000 vs. $26,000)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($227 vs. $268)
  • More PennWest Clarion graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fairmont State students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 43%)

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