PennWest Clarion vs. LRC

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

 PennWest Clarion LRC
Location Clarion, PA Pittsburgh, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,922 2,068
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #796
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu laroche.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest Clarion LRC
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $31,334
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $31,334
Room & Board $12,930 $12,886
Avg Net Price - $24,233
Avg Grant Aid $0 $20,948
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 94%

Admission

 PennWest Clarion LRC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 3,222
Admitted - 3,137
Acceptance Rate 97.4%
Enrolled % 4.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.2
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26
SAT Range 970/1170
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 PennWest Clarion LRC
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 PennWest Clarion LRC
Graduation Rate 49% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $44,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $268

Diversity

 PennWest Clarion LRC
% Men 28% 37%
% Women 72% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 62%
% Black 8% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 16%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

 PennWest Clarion LRC
% In-State 94% 75%
% Out-of-State 5% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than LRC based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 2,068 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. LRC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or LRC?

  • La Roche College is 306.1% more expensive to attend than PennWest Clarion for in-state tuition ($31,334.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 170.7% higher at LRC than PennWest Clarion ($31,334.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at La Roche College are 0.3% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($12,886 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at La Roche College than PennWest Clarion (94% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by La Roche College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($20,948 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at La Roche College (939) is 5 points higher than at PennWest Clarion (934)
  • Incoming PennWest Clarion students have at the same average ACT score (20) as students at LRC (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at LRC (3.2)

PennWest Clarion vs. LRC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or LRC? 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 LRC and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at LRC is higher than PennWest Clarion (51% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from La Roche College earn on average $5,100 more per year than PennWest Clarion graduates after ten years. ($44,300 vs. $39,200)
  • La Roche College and PennWest Clarion graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,000 vs. $26,000)
  • La Roche College and PennWest Clarion graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($268 vs. $268)
  • More PennWest Clarion graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former LRC students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 62%)

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