Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Pennsylvania Western University, Lincoln University, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Pennsylvania WesternCalifornia, PA | Lincoln UniversityLincoln University, PA | Commonwealth UniversityBloomsburg, PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 94.3% | 65.7% | 93.1% |
| SAT middle 50% | 940–1140 | 820–960 | 990–1190 |
| Average net price | $18,25638.3% on Pell grants | $14,97768.7% on Pell grants | $15,69931.8% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $11,436 in-state · $16,054 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,512 in-state · $19,384 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,046 in-state · $22,870 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.9% | 43.5% | 54.5% |
| First-year retention | 71.7% | 73.4% | 77.6% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 38.3% | 68.7% | 31.8% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $47,295 | $43,167 | $52,416 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,725 | $28,250 | $26,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 13:1 | 19:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,451 | 1,539 | 9,210 |
| Consensus percentile | 79Lower is better | 73Lower is better | 71Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | Single list onlyHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 24 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 7 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Pennsylvania Western | Lincoln University | Commonwealth University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #135 of 170Regional univ. (North)Regional Universities (North) · 2026 | #57 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 | #126 of 170Regional univ. (North)Regional Universities (North) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #1274 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #1754 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Pennsylvania Western University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Lincoln University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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