MCLA vs. PennWest Clarion

Should I go to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or PennWest Clarion? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MCLA or PennWest Clarion 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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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs. PennWest Clarion comparison
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts PennWest Clarion College 3 College 4
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Overview

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
Location North Adams, MA Clarion, PA
Setting Distant Town Remote Town
Enrollment 938 3,922
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcla.edu clarion.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
Tuition (In State) $1,030 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $9,975 $11,574
Room & Board $13,632 $12,930
Avg Net Price $15,377 -
Avg Grant Aid $9,044 $0
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 0%

Admission

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,456 -
Admitted 1,346 -
Acceptance Rate 92.4%
Enrolled % 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.5
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
Graduation Rate 53% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $39,200
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,659 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $254 $268

Diversity

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
% Men 42% 28%
% Women 58% 72%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 74% 83%
% Black 9% 8%
% Hispanic 8% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 MCLA PennWest Clarion
% In-State 55% 94%
% Out-of-State 45% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than MCLA based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 938 students)

MCLA vs. PennWest Clarion Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MCLA or PennWest Clarion?

  • PennWest Clarion is 649.1% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16% higher at PennWest Clarion than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($11,574.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest Clarion are 5.4% lower than costs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($12,930 vs. $13,632)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than PennWest Clarion (100% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($9,044 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (1016) is 82 points higher than at PennWest Clarion (934)
  • Incoming MCLA students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at PennWest Clarion (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at MCLA (3.2)

MCLA vs. PennWest Clarion Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCLA or PennWest Clarion? 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 PennWest Clarion and MCLA.

  • The graduation rate at MCLA is higher than PennWest Clarion (53% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from PennWest Clarion earn on average $2,100 more per year than MCLA graduates after ten years. ($39,200 vs. $37,100)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $1,341 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($24,659 vs. $26,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($254 vs. $268)
  • More MCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest Clarion students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 63%)

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