PennWest California vs. Tusculum College

Should I go to PennWest California or Tusculum College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest California or Tusculum 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.

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PennWest California vs. Tusculum College comparison
PennWest California Tusculum College College 3 College 4
PennWest California Tusculum College
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Overview

PennWest California Tusculum College
Location California, PA Greeneville, TN
Setting Town Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 6,509 1,303
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #1033 #1004
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calu.edu tusculum.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest California Tusculum College
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $26,558
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $26,558
Room & Board $10,416 $10,042
Avg Net Price - $20,414
Avg Grant Aid $0 $22,630
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 100%

Admission

PennWest California Tusculum College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,369
Admitted - 1,110
Acceptance Rate 81.1%
Enrolled % 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.18
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 17/22
SAT Range 940/1150 910/1110
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

PennWest California Tusculum College
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Business (55%)
  • Education (31%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Biology (3%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (1%)

Outcomes

PennWest California Tusculum College
Graduation Rate 53% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $41,900
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

PennWest California Tusculum College
% Men 39% 48%
% Women 61% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 74%
% Black 12% 14%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

PennWest California Tusculum College
% In-State 86% 45%
% Out-of-State 13% 44%

Campus

PennWest California Tusculum College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest California is larger than than Tusculum College based on total student enrollment (6,509 students vs. 1,303 students)

PennWest California vs. Tusculum College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest California or Tusculum College?

  • Tusculum College is 244.2% more expensive to attend than PennWest California for in-state tuition ($26,558.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 129.5% higher at Tusculum College than PennWest California ($26,558.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tusculum College are 3.7% lower than costs at PennWest California ($10,042 vs. $10,416)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Tusculum College than PennWest California (100% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Tusculum College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest California ($22,630 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Tusculum College (960) is 38 points higher than at PennWest California (922)
  • Incoming Tusculum College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest California (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest California students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Tusculum College (3.18)

PennWest California vs. Tusculum College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest California or Tusculum 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 Tusculum College and PennWest California.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest California is higher than Tusculum College (53% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from PennWest California earn on average $600 more per year than Tusculum College graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $41,900)
  • PennWest California students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Tusculum College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • PennWest California graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Tusculum College graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More PennWest California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Tusculum College students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 52%)

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