PennWest California vs. Randolph-Macon

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

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
Location California, PA Ashland, VA
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,509 1,523
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #1038 #427
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu rmc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $46,278
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $46,278
Room & Board $10,416 $14,630
Avg Net Price - $29,058
Avg Grant Aid $0 $32,348
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 100%

Admission

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 2,620
Admitted - 2,185
Acceptance Rate 83.4%
Enrolled % 19.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 22/29
SAT Range 940/1150 1040/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2026 Mar 1, 2026

Academics

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
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%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • History (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
Graduation Rate 53% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
% Men 39% 0%
% Women 61% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 78%
% Black 12% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
% In-State 86% 81%
% Out-of-State 13% 19%

Campus

PennWest California Randolph-Macon
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 Randolph-Macon based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 1,523 students)

PennWest California vs. Randolph-Macon Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Randolph-Macon?

  • Randolph Macon College is 499.8% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($46,278.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 299.8% higher at Randolph-Macon than PennWest California ($46,278.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest California are 40.5% lower than costs at Randolph Macon College ($10,416 vs. $14,630)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Randolph Macon College than PennWest California (100% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Randolph Macon College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($32,348 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Randolph Macon College (1098) is 176 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Randolph-Macon students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman Randolph-Macon students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at PennWest California (3.31)

PennWest California vs. Randolph-Macon Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Randolph-Macon? 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 Randolph-Macon and PennWest California.

  • The graduation rate at Randolph-Macon is higher than PennWest California (60% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Randolph Macon College earn on average $8,100 more per year than PennWest California graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $42,500)
  • PennWest California students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Randolph-Macon graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Randolph-Macon graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More Randolph-Macon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest California students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 64%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/