Penn Commercial vs. Pennsylvania Highlands

Comparable Facts

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

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is larger than Penn Commercial based on total student enrollment (2,501 students vs. 265 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

Penn Commercial vs. Pennsylvania Highlands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn Commercial or Pennsylvania Highlands? 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 Pennsylvania Highlands Community College than Penn Commercial ($5,519 vs. $16,793).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College are 29.6% lower than at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School ($5,700 vs. $8,100).
• Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is 43.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than Pennsylvania Highlands (about $4,114 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $9,540.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 2.3% higher at Penn Commercial than at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (about $304 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $13,350.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College than at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School (75% vs. 40%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Penn Commercial Business/Technical School students is 13.4% larger than aid received by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College students ($7,699 vs. $6,791).

Penn Commercial vs. Pennsylvania Highlands Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn Commercial or Pennsylvania Highlands? 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 Pennsylvania Highlands and Penn Commercial.

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

Penn Commercial vs. Pennsylvania Highlands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn Commercial and Pennsylvania Highlands? 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 Penn Commercial Business/Technical School earn a median of about $3,500 more per year than Pennsylvania Highlands graduates about ten years after starting college ($32,500 vs. $29,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College graduates have a $3,932 lower median loan debt than Penn Commercial graduates ($8,068 vs. $12,000).
• Among borrowers, Pennsylvania Highlands graduates have an estimated $41 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn Commercial graduates ($83 vs. $124).
• More Pennsylvania Highlands graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn Commercial students, three years after graduation. (51% 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.