Pennsylvania Western University
U.S. News National 2027
#353
Acceptance rate
94.3%
2025
Peer median 85.8%
Out-of-state tuition
$16,054
In-state $11,436
Peer median $18,658
Undergraduates
7,586
Student-faculty ratio 18:1
Peer median 16 : 1
Graduation rate
36.8%
4-year; 6-year rate 50.3%
Peer median 29.5%
“Peers” are all 238 public master's colleges and universities in the U.S. (by Carnegie Classification).
About
- Type
- Public, 4-year
- Location
- California, Pennsylvania
- Website
- www.pennwest.edu
- Undergraduates
- 7,586
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18 : 1
This collegeRanked colleges nearby
- Setting
- Distant town
- Nearest major city
- Pittsburgh, about 25 mi
- Nearest international airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), about 35 mi
- Also known as
- PennWest University
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Not applicable
- President
- Jon Anderson (President)
- Phone
- 7249384000
- City
- California, Pennsylvania
- Address
- 250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419
Rankings & Admission
Peer median 85.8% · all 238 public master's colleges and universities in the U.S.
Acceptance rate by gender, 2025
In 2023: men 92.2%, women 94.5%.
School and Program Rankings
U.S. News school and program rankings · Click a school to see its programs, and a program for its full ranking
Undergraduate Rankings · 2027 edition
Social Sciences and Humanities1 programs—
Ranks in blue are top 10 · ▲▼ change from the previous edition · “—” means no overall ranking for that school · Medical schools are ranked in tiers since the 2025 edition
Test Scores
2025 admitted students, 25th–75th percentile · 21% submitted SAT, 3% submitted ACT · SAT/ACT optional: considered if submitted
How Hard Is It to Get In
about 9 in 10
5,930 applicants in 2025, 94.3% admitted
5,594 admitted 336 not admitted Yield 27.3%
Degrees & Majors
Graduates in 2025 (first major)
U.S. studentsInternational
Popular graduate programs
- Social Work · Master's180 (1% international)
- Library and Information Science · Master's160 (1% international)
- Education, General · Master's84 (0% international)
- Business Administration and Management, General · Master's84 (0% international)
- Special Education and Teaching, General · Master's78 (1% international)
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology · Master's76 (1% international)
All majors, graduates and earnings IPEDS · College Scorecard
*Depends on whether majors have graduates in 2025 or not, Yes / No
**Move mouse on can check deitaled graudates number, click for major detailed information
***Due to privacy policy, graduate salaries are not shown for some majors that has few gradautes
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, General. | $50,707 | ||||
| Educational Leadership and Administration, General. | $61,047-$80,673 | ||||
| Educational Administration and Supervision, Other. | $61,047-$80,673 | ||||
| Special Education and Teaching, General. | $43,720-$61,780 | ||||
| Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. | $48,337 | ||||
| Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching. | $40,033-$52,336 | ||||
| Secondary Education and Teaching. | $40,033-$52,336 | ||||
| Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching. | $40,033-$52,336 | ||||
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | $40,033-$52,336 | ||||
| Reading Teacher Education. | $52,961 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | $67,145 | ||||
| Communication Sciences and Disorders, General. | $33,210-$54,005 | ||||
| Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist. | $33,210-$54,005 | ||||
| Medical Office Assistant/Specialist. | - | ||||
| Physical Therapy Assistant. | $52,011 | ||||
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other. | $52,011 | ||||
| Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist. | $57,548 | ||||
| Athletic Training/Trainer. | $57,548 | ||||
| Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist. | - | ||||
| Mental Health Counseling/Counselor. | $34,313-$48,020 | ||||
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other. | $34,313-$48,020 | ||||
| Art Therapy/Therapist. | - | ||||
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | $62,343-$104,137 | ||||
| Nursing Administration. | $62,343-$104,137 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General. | - | ||||
| Business Administration and Management, General. | $45,631-$70,923 | ||||
| Operations Management and Supervision. | $45,631-$70,923 | ||||
| Science/Technology Management. | $45,631-$70,923 | ||||
| Accounting. | $47,514-$67,262 | ||||
| Business/Corporate Communications, General. | - | ||||
| Business/Managerial Economics. | - | ||||
| Finance, General. | $48,563 | ||||
| Labor and Industrial Relations. | $47,094 | ||||
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General. | $41,360 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Services, General. | - | ||||
| Social Work. | $41,149-$54,401 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport and Fitness Administration/Management. | $38,549-$51,167 | ||||
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology. | $38,549-$51,167 | ||||
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other. | $38,549-$51,167 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial and Advertising Art. | $35,336 | ||||
| Graphic Design. | $35,336 | ||||
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General. | $31,344 | ||||
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other. | - | ||||
| Art/Art Studies, General. | $28,267-$44,135 | ||||
| Fine/Studio Arts, General. | $28,267-$44,135 | ||||
| Music Technology. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | $40,037 | ||||
| Social Psychology. | $34,149 | ||||
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other. | $34,149 | ||||
| School Psychology. | $52,473 | ||||
| Educational Psychology. | $52,473 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Library and Information Science. | $48,568 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General. | $35,102-$45,486 | ||||
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. | $35,102-$45,486 | ||||
| Criminal Justice/Police Science. | $35,102-$45,486 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | $38,696 | ||||
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | $38,696 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Science/Studies. | - | ||||
| Computer Science. | - | ||||
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences, General. | $39,596 | ||||
| Anthropology, General. | $30,800 | ||||
| Criminology. | - | ||||
| Economics, General. | - | ||||
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. | - | ||||
| Geography. | $35,863 | ||||
| Political Science and Government, General. | $36,254 | ||||
| Sociology, General. | $35,295 | ||||
| Social Sciences, Other. | $39,765 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | $36,610 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Studies. | $40,320 | ||||
| Environmental Science. | $40,320 | ||||
| Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic Language and Literature. | $55,753-$61,958 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication, General. | $36,132-$48,645 | ||||
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | $36,132-$48,645 | ||||
| Journalism. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | $42,503 | ||||
| Systems Science and Theory. | - | ||||
| Data Science, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other. | $64,351 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry, General. | $40,209 | ||||
| Physics, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician. | - | ||||
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician. | - | ||||
| Engineering/Industrial Management. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering. | $65,346 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | $29,861 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics, General. | $47,862 | ||||
| Computational and Applied Mathematics. | - | ||||
| Statistics, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History, General. | $28,365 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under | Master | Doctor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy. | - |
Students
10,834 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 39:61 · Freshman retention 71.7%
- Continuing undergraduates 5,401
- First-year undergraduates 1,467
- Graduate students 3,248
- Transfers and others 718
Undergraduate race and ethnicity (7,586)
Age distribution
Bachelor's
Graduate students
International Students
International share over the last 10 years · gray line: median of all 238 public master's colleges and universities in the U.S.
106 in 2025 · 1.1% in 2023
38 in 2025 · 1.3% in 2023
Cost
2025 cost per year (out-of-state)
$28,744
- Undergrad tuition (out-of-state)
- $16,054
- Undergraduate tuition (in-state)
- $11,436
- Room and board
- $12,690
- Graduate tuition
- $12,386
Peer median tuition + room and board $31,000 · all 238 public master's colleges and universities in the U.S.
Tuition rose 3% from 2023 to 2025; room and board rose 8%.
Finances · fiscal year 2024
Revenue$387M
Expenses$256M
Average faculty salary · 2025 (9-month equivalent)
Dark gray ticks: median pay for the same rank at all 238 public master's colleges and universities in the U.S.
Campus Life
Athletics and varsity athletes NCAA · Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference: football, basketball, baseball, cross country
| NCAA Division II with football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 316 | - |
| Track and Field and Cross Country (combined) | 107 | 187 |
| Soccer | 28 | 88 |
| Swimming and Diving (combined) | 44 | 65 |
| Basketball | 49 | 45 |
| Baseball | 89 | - |
| Wrestling | 71 | - |
| Volleyball | - | 62 |
| Softball | - | 59 |
| Golf | 25 | 14 |
| Tennis | 13 | 25 |
| Lacrosse | - | 25 |
| NCAA Division II with football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 312 | - |
| Track and Field and Cross Country (combined) | 99 | 196 |
| Soccer | 30 | 100 |
| Basketball | 47 | 51 |
| Swimming and Diving (combined) | 37 | 61 |
| Baseball | 76 | - |
| Wrestling | 69 | - |
| Softball | - | 60 |
| Volleyball | - | 58 |
| Golf | 28 | 13 |
| Tennis | 14 | 25 |
| Lacrosse | - | 20 |
| NCAA Division II with football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Track and Field and Cross Country (combined) | 111 | 212 |
| Football | 290 | - |
| Soccer | 28 | 100 |
| Swimming and Diving (combined) | 38 | 72 |
| Basketball | 48 | 46 |
| Baseball | 75 | - |
| Softball | - | 72 |
| Wrestling | 69 | - |
| Volleyball | - | 61 |
| Golf | 21 | 17 |
| Tennis | 17 | 15 |
| Lacrosse | - | 27 |
Nearby & Safety
Ranked colleges nearby
-
Washington and Jefferson CollegeWashington · 20.1 mi
Liberal Arts #91
-
Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh · 26.2 mi
U.S. News #156
-
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh · 26.3 mi
U.S. News #14
-
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh · 26.4 mi
U.S. News #59
-
Chatham UniversityPittsburgh · 26.6 mi
U.S. News #236
-
West Virginia UniversityMorgantown · 30.0 mi
U.S. News #227
-
Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township · 35.8 mi
U.S. News #219
-
Juniata CollegeHuntingdon · 103.0 mi
Liberal Arts #91
-
Kent State University at KentKent · 106.8 mi
U.S. News #236
Recent News at Pennsylvania Western University
Summarized daily from the school's official news. Click "Source" for the original story.
-
PennWest highlighted students participating in summer 2024 internships, including electrical engineering technology student Gabriel Bonal and political science student Emily Campbell.
Source: pennwest.edu
No updates on this topic in this month.
References and Data Sources
Data from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education), U.S. News, THE, QS, ARWU and Clery Act campus safety reports. Data insights are written by the Forward Pathway data team from public data.