CW vs. NCA

Comparable Facts

Compare The College of Westchester in White Plains, NY with Northwest College of Art & Design in Tacoma, WA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

The College of Westchester is larger than NCA based on total student enrollment (759 students vs. 139 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• The College of Westchester is located in White Plains, NY (Small City setting); Northwest College of Art & Design is in Tacoma, WA (Rural Fringe setting).
• The College of Westchester is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. Northwest College of Art & Design is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: The College of Westchester 19:1; Northwest College of Art & Design 34:1.

CW vs. NCA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CW or NCA? 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 Northwest College of Art & Design than CW ($14,818 vs. $15,871).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of Westchester are 38.1% lower than at Northwest College of Art & Design ($9,520 vs. $15,384).
• The College of Westchester is 39.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than NCA (about $7,091 more per year; $25,191.00 vs. $18,100.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 39.2% higher at CW than at Northwest College of Art & Design (about $7,091 more per year; $25,191.00 vs. $18,100.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at The College of Westchester than at Northwest College of Art & Design (100% vs. 87%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by The College of Westchester students is 10% larger than aid received by Northwest College of Art & Design students ($15,841 vs. $14,406).

CW vs. NCA Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CW or NCA? 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 NCA and CW.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CW - Test-free; NCA - Test-free.
• CW has a higher acceptance rate (94.4%) than NCA (66%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 21.3% at CW vs. 40.6% at NCA.

CW vs. NCA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CW and NCA? 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 The College of Westchester earn a median of about $10,200 more per year than NCA graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,800 vs. $29,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, The College of Westchester graduates have a $7,106 lower median loan debt than NCA graduates ($23,894 vs. $31,000).
• Among borrowers, CW graduates have an estimated $73 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than NCA graduates ($247 vs. $320).
• More NCA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CW students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 31%)

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.