PennWest Clarion vs. Mercyhurst College

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

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
Location Clarion, PA Erie, PA
Setting Remote Town Midsize City
Enrollment 3,922 2,801
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu mercyhurst.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $40,530
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $40,530
Room & Board $12,930 $14,025
Avg Net Price - $24,935
Avg Grant Aid $0 $32,418
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 95%

Admission

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 3,625
Admitted - 2,920
Acceptance Rate 80.6%
Enrolled % 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst 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 (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
Graduation Rate 49% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,698
Median Loan Payment $268 $276

Diversity

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
% Men 28% 40%
% Women 72% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 73%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 PennWest Clarion Mercyhurst College
% In-State 94% 51%
% Out-of-State 5% 45%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than Mercyhurst College based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 2,801 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. Mercyhurst College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or Mercyhurst College?

  • Mercyhurst College is 425.3% more expensive to attend than PennWest Clarion for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 250.2% higher at Mercyhurst College than PennWest Clarion ($40,530.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest Clarion are 8.5% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($12,930 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than PennWest Clarion (95% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($32,418 vs. $0)

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

  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Mercyhurst College (3.36)

PennWest Clarion vs. Mercyhurst College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst College and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than PennWest Clarion (68% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Mercyhurst College earn on average $4,500 more per year than PennWest Clarion graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $39,200)
  • PennWest Clarion students graduate with a $698 lower median federal student loan debt than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,698)
  • PennWest Clarion graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($268 vs. $276)
  • More PennWest Clarion graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 56%)

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