PennWest California vs. Penn State Altoona

Should I go to PennWest California or Penn State Altoona? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Penn State Altoona 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 Altoona comparison
PennWest California Penn State Altoona College 3 College 4
PennWest California
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
Location California, PA Altoona, PA
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 6,509 2,577
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #584
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $25,854
Room & Board $10,416 $12,984
Avg Net Price - $20,621
Avg Grant Aid $0 $9,574
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 68%

Admission

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 7,523
Admitted - 7,204
Acceptance Rate 95.8%
Enrolled % 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.4
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 21/28
SAT Range 940/1150 1050/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (6%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
Graduation Rate 53% 65%
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 Altoona
% Men 39% 53%
% Women 61% 47%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 77%
% Black 12% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
% In-State 86% 59%
% Out-of-State 13% 35%

Campus

PennWest California Penn State Altoona
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 Penn State Altoona based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 2,577 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Altoona Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Altoona is 99.4% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 123.4% higher at Penn State Altoona than PennWest California ($25,854.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 24.7% lower than costs at Penn State Altoona ($10,416 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Altoona than PennWest California (68% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Altoona students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($9,574 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Altoona (993) is 71 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Altoona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Altoona students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Altoona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Altoona is higher than PennWest California (65% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Altoona 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 Altoona graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Altoona graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Altoona 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/