Penn State Beaver vs. WCU

Should I go to Penn State Beaver or West Chester University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Beaver or WCU 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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Penn State Beaver vs. West Chester University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State Beaver West Chester University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Location Monaca, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 522 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $19,290
Room & Board $12,254 $14,228
Avg Net Price $18,113 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $9,274 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,707 14,778
Admitted 1,591 12,982
Acceptance Rate 93.2% 87.8%
Enrolled % 10.6% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.43
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/28 23/30
SAT Range 1050/1260 1080/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Graduation Rate 47% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Beaver WCU
% Men 55% 39%
% Women 45% 61%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 78%
% Black 9% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Beaver WCU
% In-State 63% 87%
% Out-of-State 34% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Beaver WCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 522 students)

Penn State Beaver vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Beaver or WCU?

  • Penn State Beaver is 79.2% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.7% higher at Penn State Beaver than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($23,086.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than WCU ($18,113 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 16.1% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($12,254 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (87% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Beaver students is 70.4% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($9,274 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Beaver vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Beaver or WCU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between WCU or Penn State Beaver .

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 73 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Beaver vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Beaver or WCU? 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 WCU and Penn State Beaver.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Beaver (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $6,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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