Hood vs. PennWest Clarion

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

 Hood PennWest Clarion
Location Frederick, MD Clarion, PA
Setting Small City Remote Town
Enrollment 2,056 3,922
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hood.edu clarion.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Hood PennWest Clarion
Tuition (In State) $43,800 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $43,800 $11,574
Room & Board $13,600 $12,930
Avg Net Price $23,624 -
Avg Grant Aid $34,047 $0
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 0%

Admission

 Hood PennWest Clarion
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,000 -
Admitted 2,336 -
Acceptance Rate 77.9%
Enrolled % 12.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.5
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 Hood PennWest Clarion
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 Hood PennWest Clarion
Graduation Rate 68% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,300 $39,200
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

 Hood PennWest Clarion
% Men 35% 28%
% Women 65% 72%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 63% 83%
% Black 12% 8%
% Hispanic 9% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

 Hood PennWest Clarion
% In-State 70% 94%
% Out-of-State 29% 5%

Campus

 Hood PennWest Clarion
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 Clarion is larger than than Hood based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 2,056 students)

Hood vs. PennWest Clarion Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Hood or PennWest Clarion?

  • Hood College is 467.7% more expensive to attend than PennWest Clarion for in-state tuition ($43,800.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 278.4% higher at Hood than PennWest Clarion ($43,800.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at PennWest Clarion are 5.2% lower than costs at Hood College ($12,930 vs. $13,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Hood College than PennWest Clarion (100% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hood College students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($34,047 vs. $0)

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

  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Hood (3.41)

Hood vs. PennWest Clarion Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Hood is higher than PennWest Clarion (68% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Hood College earn on average $8,100 more per year than PennWest Clarion graduates after ten years. ($47,300 vs. $39,200)
  • PennWest Clarion students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Hood graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • PennWest Clarion graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Hood graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Hood graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest Clarion students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 63%)

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