PennWest California vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Should I go to PennWest California or Penn State Erie Behrend College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Penn State Harrisburg Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus PennWest Clarion Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Penn State Altoona Penn State Penn State Berks Gannon University UB Penn State Schuylkill Robert Morris University Concord University
PennWest California vs. Penn State Erie Behrend College comparison
PennWest California Penn State Erie Behrend College College 3 College 4
PennWest California Penn State Erie Behrend College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Location California, PA Erie, PA
Setting Town Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,509 3,323
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1038 #538
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $26,112
Room & Board $10,416 $14,774
Avg Net Price - $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $0 $10,930
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 66%

Admission

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 4,827
Admitted - 4,620
Acceptance Rate 95.7%
Enrolled % 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.49
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 23/28
SAT Range 940/1150 1110/1320
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
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%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Graduation Rate 53% 66%
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 Erie-Behrend College
% Men 39% 2%
% Women 61% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 79%
% Black 12% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 9%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 PennWest California Penn State Erie-Behrend College
% In-State 86% 74%
% Out-of-State 13% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 3,323 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Penn State Erie-Behrend College?

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 125.6% higher at Penn State Erie-Behrend College than PennWest California ($26,112.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 41.8% lower than costs at Penn State Erie Behrend College ($10,416 vs. $14,774)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Erie Behrend College than PennWest California (66% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Erie Behrend College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($10,930 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Erie Behrend College (1054) is 132 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Erie-Behrend College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Erie-Behrend College students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.49) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Penn State Erie-Behrend College? 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 Erie-Behrend College and PennWest California.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Erie-Behrend College is higher than PennWest California (66% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/