Penn Commercial vs. RACC

Comparable Facts

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

Reading Area Community College is larger than Penn Commercial based on total student enrollment (5,369 students vs. 265 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is located in Washington, PA (Large Suburban setting); Reading Area Community College is in Reading, PA (Small City setting).
• Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private, for-profit 2-year institution. Reading Area Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn Commercial Business/Technical School 9:1; Reading Area Community College 19:1.

Penn Commercial vs. RACC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn Commercial or RACC? 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 Reading Area Community College than Penn Commercial ($9,089 vs. $16,793).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School are 25% lower than at Reading Area Community College ($8,100 vs. $10,800).
• Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is 20.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than RACC (about $2,344 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $11,310.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 9.1% higher at Penn Commercial than at Reading Area Community College (about $1,144 more per year; $13,654.00 vs. $12,510.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Reading Area Community College than at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School (74% vs. 40%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Penn Commercial Business/Technical School students is 37.4% larger than aid received by Reading Area Community College students ($7,699 vs. $5,603).

Penn Commercial vs. RACC Admissions comparison

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

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

Penn Commercial vs. RACC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn Commercial and RACC? 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 Reading Area Community College earn a median of about $700 more per year than Penn Commercial graduates about ten years after starting college ($33,200 vs. $32,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Reading Area Community College graduates have a $1,400 lower median loan debt than Penn Commercial graduates ($10,600 vs. $12,000).
• Among borrowers, RACC graduates have an estimated $15 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn Commercial graduates ($109 vs. $124).
• More Penn Commercial graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RACC students, three years after graduation. (36% vs. 33%)

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.