PennWest California vs. LHU

Should I go to PennWest California or Lock Haven University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or LHU 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. Lock Haven University comparison
PennWest California Lock Haven University College 3 College 4
PennWest California Lock Haven University
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Overview

PennWest California LHU
Location California, PA Lock Haven, PA
Setting Town Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 6,509 2,920
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #1035
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu lhup.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California LHU
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $17,290
Room & Board $10,416 $10,350
Avg Net Price - -
Avg Grant Aid $0 $0
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 0%

Admission

PennWest California LHU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate
Enrolled %
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24
SAT Range 940/1150 980/1190
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

PennWest California LHU
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (18%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

PennWest California LHU
Graduation Rate 53% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $42,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 67%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

PennWest California LHU
% Men 39% 37%
% Women 61% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 84%
% Black 12% 9%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

PennWest California LHU
% In-State 86% 91%
% Out-of-State 13% 8%

Campus

PennWest California LHU
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 LHU based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 2,920 students)

PennWest California vs. LHU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or LHU?

  • PennWest California and LHU cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.4% higher at LHU than PennWest California ($17,290.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lock Haven University are 0.6% lower than costs at PennWest California ($10,350 vs. $10,416)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at PennWest California as Lock Haven University (0% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by PennWest California students is NaN larger than aid received Lock Haven University ($0 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Lock Haven University (948) is 26 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming PennWest California students have at the same average ACT score (20) as students at LHU (20)
  • Accepted freshman LHU students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. LHU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Lock Haven University (53% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from PennWest California earn on average $400 more per year than LHU graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $42,100)
  • PennWest California students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than LHU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than LHU graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More LHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest California students, three years after graduation. (67% vs. 64%)

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