WSSU vs. PennWest California

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

WSSU PennWest California
Location Winston-Salem, NC California, PA
Setting Midsize City Town Fringe
Enrollment 5,004 6,509
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #956 #1033
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wssu.edu calu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WSSU PennWest California
Tuition (In State) $3,401 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $14,057 $11,574
Room & Board $11,220 $10,416
Avg Net Price $14,097 -
Avg Grant Aid $8,350 $0
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 0%

Admission

WSSU PennWest California
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,628 -
Admitted 5,598 -
Acceptance Rate 73.4%
Enrolled % 15.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.01 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 14/19 18/24
SAT Range 830/1050 940/1150
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2024 Aug 22, 2024

Academics

WSSU PennWest California
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (50%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

WSSU PennWest California
Graduation Rate 41% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,700 $42,500
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,663 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $265 $258

Diversity

WSSU PennWest California
% Men 24% 39%
% Women 76% 61%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 16% 77%
% Black 72% 12%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

WSSU PennWest California
% In-State 82% 86%
% Out-of-State 16% 13%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than WSSU based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 5,004 students)

WSSU vs. PennWest California Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WSSU or PennWest California?

  • PennWest California is 126.9% more expensive to attend than WSSU for in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $3,401.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.5% higher at WSSU than PennWest California ($14,057.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 7.7% lower than costs at Winston Salem State University ($10,416 vs. $11,220)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Winston Salem State University than PennWest California (86% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Winston Salem State University students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($8,350 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at PennWest California (922) is 52 points higher than at WSSU (870)
  • Incoming PennWest California students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at WSSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest California students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at WSSU (3.01)

WSSU vs. PennWest California Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WSSU or PennWest California? 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 California and WSSU.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Winston Salem State University (53% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from PennWest California earn on average $6,800 more per year than WSSU graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $35,700)
  • PennWest California students graduate with a $663 lower median federal student loan debt than WSSU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,663)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than WSSU graduates. ($258 vs. $265)
  • More PennWest California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSSU students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 33%)

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