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Penn State Altoona Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus PennWest Clarion Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Abington Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State VCU Penn State Schuylkill Robert Morris University Rutgers University-Camden| PennWest California | Penn State Berks | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
| Location | California, PA | Reading, PA | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 6,509 | 2,077 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #1033 | #657 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | calu.edu | psu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $7,716 | $15,388 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $11,574 | $25,854 | ||
| Room & Board | $10,416 | $14,334 | ||
| Avg Net Price | - | $21,728 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $0 | $8,528 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 0% | 66% |
Admission |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | - | 5,605 | ||
| Admitted | - | 5,453 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 97.3% | |||
| Enrolled % | 11.6% | |||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.31 | 3.39 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Challenging | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 18/24 | 23/28 | ||
| SAT Range | 940/1150 | 1090/1290 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | |||
| Application Deadline | Aug 22, 2025 |
Academics |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19:1 | 13:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
| Graduation Rate | 53% | 55% | ||
| 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 Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 39% | 59% | ||
| % Women | 61% | 41% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 77% | 68% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 9% | ||
| % Hispanic | 3% | 11% | ||
| % 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 Berks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 86% | 64% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 13% | 30% | ||
Campus |
PennWest California | Penn State Berks | ||
| 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 Berks based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 2,077 students)
PennWest California vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Penn State Berks?
- Penn State Berks 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 Berks than PennWest California ($25,854.00 vs. $11,574.00)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 37.6% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($10,416 vs. $14,334)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than PennWest California (66% vs. 0%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Berks students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($8,528 vs. $0)
Which college is harder to get into, PennWest California or Penn State Berks? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Berks or PennWest California .
- The average SAT score at Penn State Berks (978) is 56 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
- Incoming Penn State Berks students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PennWest California (20)
- Accepted freshman Penn State Berks students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at PennWest California (3.31)
PennWest California vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, PennWest California or Penn State Berks? 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 Berks and PennWest California.
- The graduation rate at Penn State Berks is higher than PennWest California (55% vs. 53%)
- Graduates from Penn State Berks 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 Berks graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
- PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
- More Penn State Berks 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/