UC Riverside vs. WCU

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

 UC Riverside WCU
Location Riverside, CA West Chester, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,809 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside WCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $19,290
Room & Board $17,333 $14,228
Avg Net Price $14,487 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 64%

Admission

 UC Riverside WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 14,778
Admitted 37,563 12,982
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 87.8%
Enrolled % 14.8% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.43
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 23/30
SAT Range 1080/1280 1080/1260
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024

Academics

 UC Riverside WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside WCU
Graduation Rate 67% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $197 $242

Diversity

 UC Riverside WCU
% Men 49% 39%
% Women 51% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 78%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 36% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 UC Riverside WCU
% In-State 94% 87%
% Out-of-State 2% 12%

Campus

 UC Riverside WCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 17,275 students)

UC Riverside vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or WCU?

  • University of California Riverside is 49.9% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 115.8% higher at UC Riverside than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($41,636.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than WCU ($14,487 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are 21.8% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($14,228 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (75% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 305% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($22,042 vs. $5,443)

UC Riverside vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 47 points higher than at WCU (1072)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at WCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at WCU (3.43)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than University of California Riverside (68% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $3,200 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $49,000)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $4,391 lower median federal student loan debt than WCU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,500)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than WCU graduates. ($197 vs. $242)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 65%)

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