PennWest California vs. Penn State Beaver

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

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
Location California, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,509 522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1033
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $23,086
Room & Board $10,416 $12,254
Avg Net Price - $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $0 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 87%

Admission

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,707
Admitted - 1,591
Acceptance Rate 93.2%
Enrolled % 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 20/28
SAT Range 940/1150 1050/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 53% 47%
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 Beaver
% Men 39% 55%
% Women 61% 45%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 75%
% Black 12% 9%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
% In-State 86% 63%
% Out-of-State 13% 34%

Campus

PennWest California Penn State Beaver
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 Beaver based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 522 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Beaver is 79.2% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 99.5% higher at Penn State Beaver than PennWest California ($23,086.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 17.6% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($10,416 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than PennWest California (87% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Beaver students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($9,274 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Beaver (999) is 77 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Beaver students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest California (20)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Penn State Beaver (53% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver 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/