PennWest Clarion vs. UW-Eau Claire

Should I go to PennWest Clarion or University of Wisconsin Eau Claire? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest Clarion or UW-Eau Claire 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. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire comparison
PennWest Clarion University of Wisconsin Eau Claire College 3 College 4
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
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Overview

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
Location Clarion, PA Eau Claire, WI
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 3,922 10,104
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #565
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu uwec.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $7,361
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $16,074
Room & Board $12,930 $9,014
Avg Net Price - $15,000
Avg Grant Aid $0 $4,251
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 76%

Admission

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 10,403
Admitted - 7,971
Acceptance Rate 76.6%
Enrolled % 26.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.59
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/26
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
Graduation Rate 49% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $47,900
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $268 $240

Diversity

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
% Men 28% 40%
% Women 72% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 89%
% Black 8% 1%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

PennWest Clarion UW-Eau Claire
% In-State 94% 64%
% Out-of-State 5% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is larger than than PennWest Clarion based on total student enrollment (10,104 students vs. 3,922 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. UW-Eau Claire Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or UW-Eau Claire?

  • PennWest Clarion is 4.8% more expensive to attend than UW-Eau Claire for in-state tuition ($7,716.00 vs. $7,361.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.9% higher at UW-Eau Claire than PennWest Clarion ($16,074.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire are 43.4% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($9,014 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire than PennWest Clarion (76% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($4,251 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (1110) is 176 points higher than at PennWest Clarion (934)
  • Incoming UW-Eau Claire students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at PennWest Clarion (20)
  • Accepted freshman UW-Eau Claire students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at PennWest Clarion (3.5)

PennWest Clarion vs. UW-Eau Claire Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or UW-Eau Claire? 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 UW-Eau Claire and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at UW-Eau Claire is higher than PennWest Clarion (65% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from University of Wisconsin Eau Claire earn on average $8,700 more per year than PennWest Clarion graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $39,200)
  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,000)
  • UW-Eau Claire graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest Clarion graduates. ($240 vs. $268)
  • More UW-Eau Claire graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest Clarion students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 63%)

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