PennWest Clarion vs. Bluefield State College

Should I go to PennWest Clarion or Bluefield State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest Clarion or Bluefield State 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 Clarion vs. Bluefield State College comparison
PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
Location Clarion, PA Bluefield, WV
Setting Remote Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,922 1,306
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #986
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu bluefieldstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $8,840
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $16,030
Room & Board $12,930 $10,200
Avg Net Price - $11,759
Avg Grant Aid $0 $10,160
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 96%

Admission

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 813
Admitted - 790
Acceptance Rate 97.2%
Enrolled % 33.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 870/1080
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
Graduation Rate 49% 22%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $31,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $196

Diversity

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
% Men 28% 40%
% Women 72% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 83% 85%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 3% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 PennWest Clarion Bluefield State College
% In-State 94% 54%
% Out-of-State 5% 46%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than Bluefield State College based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 1,306 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. Bluefield State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or Bluefield State College?

  • Bluefield State College is 14.6% more expensive to attend than PennWest Clarion for in-state tuition ($8,840.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.5% higher at Bluefield State College than PennWest Clarion ($16,030.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield State College are 26.8% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($10,200 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bluefield State College than PennWest Clarion (96% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bluefield State College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($10,160 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at PennWest Clarion (934) is the same at Bluefield State College (934)
  • Incoming PennWest Clarion students have at the same average ACT score (20) as students at Bluefield State College (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Bluefield State College (3.41)

PennWest Clarion vs. Bluefield State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or Bluefield State 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 Bluefield State College and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest Clarion is higher than Bluefield State College (49% vs. 22%)
  • Graduates from PennWest Clarion earn on average $7,400 more per year than Bluefield State College graduates after ten years. ($39,200 vs. $31,800)
  • Bluefield State College students graduate with a $7,000 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,000)
  • Bluefield State College graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($196 vs. $268)
  • More PennWest Clarion graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bluefield State College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 30%)

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