PennWest Edinboro vs. USC Aiken

Should I go to PennWest Edinboro or University of South Carolina Aiken? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PennWest Edinboro or USC Aiken 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 Edinboro vs. University of South Carolina Aiken comparison
PennWest Edinboro University of South Carolina Aiken College 3 College 4
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Overview

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Location Edinboro, PA Aiken, SC
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,043 3,840
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1034 #888
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website edinboro.edu usca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $10,398
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $20,856
Room & Board $11,660 $8,376
Avg Net Price - $11,872
Avg Grant Aid $0 $9,891
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 100%

Admission

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 2,453
Admitted - 1,855
Acceptance Rate 75.6%
Enrolled % 29.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.19
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Moderate Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 18/24
SAT Range 970/1170 950/1180
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (15%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)

Outcomes

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Graduation Rate 53% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,700 $39,600
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
% Men 34% 36%
% Women 66% 64%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 81% 58%
% Black 8% 27%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
% In-State 83% 87%
% Out-of-State 15% 11%

Campus

 PennWest Edinboro USC Aiken
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Edinboro is larger than than USC Aiken based on total student enrollment (4,043 students vs. 3,840 students)

PennWest Edinboro vs. USC Aiken Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Edinboro or USC Aiken?

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 34.8% more expensive to attend than PennWest Edinboro for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 80.2% higher at USC Aiken than PennWest Edinboro ($20,856.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 39.2% lower than costs at PennWest Edinboro ($8,376 vs. $11,660)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than PennWest Edinboro (100% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Edinboro ($9,891 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Aiken (976) is 26 points higher than at PennWest Edinboro (950)
  • Incoming USC Aiken students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest Edinboro (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Edinboro students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at USC Aiken (3.19)

PennWest Edinboro vs. USC Aiken Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Edinboro or USC Aiken? 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 USC Aiken and PennWest Edinboro.

  • The graduation rate at PennWest Edinboro is higher than University of South Carolina Aiken (53% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from University of South Carolina Aiken earn on average $1,900 more per year than PennWest Edinboro graduates after ten years. ($39,600 vs. $37,700)
  • University of South Carolina Aiken students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than PennWest Edinboro graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • USC Aiken graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than PennWest Edinboro graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More PennWest Edinboro graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC Aiken students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 54%)

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