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Aerial view of Pennsylvania Western University
Aerial imagery: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). USGS

Regional university

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $18,256 a year

Median debt at graduation: $23,725 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,063 · ACT 21
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,506

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$13,944
$30,001–$48,000$14,171
$48,001–$75,000$16,517
$75,001–$110,000$20,633
Over $110,000$23,272

Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,916 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
8,336
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 39% · Women 61%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
37%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
9%
Total students11,305
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,256
Cost of attendance (per year)$26,916
Median federal debt at graduation$23,725
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
52%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
47%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
47%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
64%
First-year retention72%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$47,295
Admission rate94%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
$35
Students receiving Pell grants38%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 940–1140ACT 17–25
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1063
SAT reading & writing480–580
SAT math460–560
ACT composite17–25
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Health sciences$83,194
Nursing$82,099
Industrial technology$77,401
Computing and information science$73,164
Systems Science and Theory$70,820
Information science$70,608
Finance$68,289
Chemistry$65,224
Clinical laboratory science$64,092
Accounting$63,781
Allied health$60,617
Marketing$59,703
Political science$57,724
Geology and earth science$57,549
Human resources$57,354
Speech-language pathology$56,316
Business administration$55,515
Biology$53,619
Mathematics$51,498
Natural resources and conservation$50,722
Criminal justice$49,817
Geography$49,517
Special education$48,497
Communication studies$48,116
Kinesiology and exercise science$47,468
Teacher education$47,295
Psychology$45,903
Social work$45,436
Experimental psychology$45,300
Biological and physical sciences$45,272
Journalism$45,264
Liberal arts$44,180
Counseling and mental health$42,837
Sociology$42,662
Social sciences$42,582
Music$41,546
Design$40,854
English$37,813
Fine arts$37,684
History$37,579

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Arts management, Biochemistry, Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians, Business (general), Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Computer science, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Economics, Electrical engineering technology, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Gerontology, International business, Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Library Science and Administration, Linguistics, Managerial economics, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other social sciences, Paralegal studies, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Philosophy, Physics, Public relations, Real Estate, Rehabilitation and therapy, Romance languages, Secondary education, Statistics, Theatre, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions17%
Education11%
Business11%
Social sciences9%
Parks, recreation and fitness7%

Campus life

SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates13%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,690
SportsNCAA Division II · Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1
Faculty who are full-time81%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$12,084Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 55% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsMorgantown Municipal Airport Walter L. (Bill) Hart Field (MGW)About 29 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population4,8642020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or morePittsburghAbout 26 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January30°F1991–2020 normal, from CHARLEROI LOCK 4, PA US, about 6 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July74°F1991–2020 normal, from CHARLEROI LOCK 4, PA US, about 6 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.050.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.030.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Pennsylvania Western University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Pennsylvania Western University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $18,256 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Pennsylvania Western University?
Pennsylvania Western University admitted 94% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Pennsylvania Western University’s graduates do?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $47,295; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,725.

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