PennWest California vs. Penn State Schuylkill

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

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
Location California, PA Schuylkill Haven, PA
Setting Town Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 6,509 623
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 Schuylkill
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $24,318
Room & Board $10,416 $7,644
Avg Net Price - $17,252
Avg Grant Aid $0 $12,665
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 93%

Admission

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 928
Admitted - 796
Acceptance Rate 85.8%
Enrolled % 22.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.2
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Very Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24
SAT Range 940/1150 990/1180
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
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 (27%)
  • Psychology (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (22%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
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 Schuylkill
% Men 39% 37%
% Women 61% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 77% 69%
% Black 12% 18%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
% In-State 86% 86%
% Out-of-State 13% 12%

Campus

 PennWest California Penn State Schuylkill
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 Schuylkill based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 623 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Schuylkill Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Schuylkill is 89.5% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 110.1% higher at Penn State Schuylkill than PennWest California ($24,318.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Schuylkill are 36.3% lower than costs at PennWest California ($7,644 vs. $10,416)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Schuylkill than PennWest California (93% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Schuylkill students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($12,665 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at PennWest California (922) is 2 points higher than at Penn State Schuylkill (920)
  • Incoming PennWest California students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at Penn State Schuylkill (18)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest California students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Penn State Schuylkill (3.2)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Schuylkill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

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