PennWest California vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 PennWest California Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location California, PA Lehman, PA
Setting Town Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,509 368
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 Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $23,086
Room & Board $10,416 $12,984
Avg Net Price - $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $0 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 94%

Admission

 PennWest California Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 653
Admitted - 622
Acceptance Rate 95.3%
Enrolled % 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24
SAT Range 940/1150 1070/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

 PennWest California Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 PennWest California Penn State Wilkes-Barre
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 Wilkes-Barre
% Men 39% 64%
% Women 61% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 88%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 PennWest California Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 86% 83%
% Out-of-State 13% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 368 students)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre than PennWest California ($23,086.00 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 Wilkes Barre ($10,416 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than PennWest California (94% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($10,598 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Wilkes Barre (982) is 60 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Penn State Wilkes-Barre students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at PennWest California (20)

PennWest California vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? 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 Wilkes-Barre and PennWest California.

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