PennWest California vs. Penn State Abington

Should I go to PennWest California or Penn State Abington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Penn State Abington 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
PennWest California vs. Penn State Abington comparison
PennWest California Penn State Abington College 3 College 4
PennWest California Penn State Abington
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

PennWest California Penn State Abington
Location California, PA Abington, PA
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,509 3,090
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #694
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $24,586
Room & Board $10,416 $10,694
Avg Net Price - $20,460
Avg Grant Aid $0 $9,589
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 79%

Admission

PennWest California Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 6,463
Admitted - 6,037
Acceptance Rate 93.4%
Enrolled % 14.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 23/31
SAT Range 940/1150 1070/1310
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

PennWest California Penn State Abington
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%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 53% 44%
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 Abington
% Men 39% 59%
% Women 61% 41%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 50%
% Black 12% 13%
% Hispanic 3% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

PennWest California Penn State Abington
% In-State 86% 68%
% Out-of-State 13% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 3,090 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Abington is 90.3% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 112.4% higher at Penn State Abington than PennWest California ($24,586.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 2.7% lower than costs at Penn State Abington ($10,416 vs. $10,694)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than PennWest California (79% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Abington students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($9,589 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Abington (975) is 53 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Abington students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Abington students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Penn State Abington (53% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington 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 Abington graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Abington 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/