CCAC vs. Penn Commercial

Comparable Facts

Compare Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, PA with Penn Commercial Business/Technical School in Washington, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Community College of Allegheny County is larger than Penn Commercial based on total student enrollment (10,609 students vs. 265 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Community College of Allegheny County is located in Pittsburgh, PA (Large City setting); Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is in Washington, PA (Large Suburban setting).
• Community College of Allegheny County is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private, for-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Community College of Allegheny County 16:1; Penn Commercial Business/Technical School 9:1.

CCAC vs. Penn Commercial Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CCAC or Penn Commercial? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Community College of Allegheny County than Penn Commercial ($13,196 vs. $16,793).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School are 32.5% lower than at Community College of Allegheny County ($8,100 vs. $12,000).
• Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is 55.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than CCAC (about $4,851 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $8,803.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 8.5% higher at Penn Commercial than at Community College of Allegheny County (about $1,071 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $12,583.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Community College of Allegheny County than at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School (50% vs. 40%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Penn Commercial Business/Technical School students is 18.2% larger than aid received by Community College of Allegheny County students ($7,699 vs. $6,516).

CCAC vs. Penn Commercial Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CCAC or Penn Commercial? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn Commercial and CCAC.

• Community College of Allegheny County reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CCAC - not listed in this dataset; Penn Commercial - Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind).

CCAC vs. Penn Commercial Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CCAC and Penn Commercial? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Community College of Allegheny County earn a median of about $2,300 more per year than Penn Commercial graduates about ten years after starting college ($34,800 vs. $32,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Community College of Allegheny County graduates have a $2,029 lower median loan debt than Penn Commercial graduates ($9,971 vs. $12,000).
• Among borrowers, CCAC graduates have an estimated $21 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn Commercial graduates ($103 vs. $124).
• More CCAC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn Commercial students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 36%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.