More selective than 24% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,161. College Scorecard.
Higher than 36% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 25% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 48% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,733 applicants, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania admitted 7,327 and 2,434 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1190 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Pennsylvania residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,374 | $48,681 | 2.9 years |
| $30–48k | $11,370 | $48,664 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $13,877 | $59,394 | 3.6 years |
| $75–110k | $17,989 | $76,993 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $20,099 | $86,024 | 5.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($52,416) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,619 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania majors, earnings & careers
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania offers 59 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Engineering · 2
Highest-earning majors at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $89,958 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $85,353 | $27,000 |
| Public Health | $75,679 | — |
| Physics | $73,703 | — |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | $73,383 | $27,000 |
| Security / Homeland Security | $73,289 | $25,800 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $70,181 | $27,516 |
| Information Technology | $69,048 | $27,622 |
Quick list of all 59 majors
- Accounting$66,300
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$70,181
- American Sign Language$59,134
- Anthropology$53,927
- Biology$53,988
- Business—
- Business Administration$64,030
- Chemistry$63,088
- Communications$52,825
- Computer and Information Sciences$64,063
- Computer Science$85,353
- Criminal Justice$55,909
- Dietetics$50,836
- Economics$62,798
- Education$48,795
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,662
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$46,990
- Environmental Science / Conservation$56,107
- Finance—
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science$60,075
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History$46,133
- Information Technology$69,048
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,736
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$46,030
- Linguistics$48,495
- Mathematics$62,779
- Music$42,481
- Nursing$89,958
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$52,571
- Philosophy—
- Physics$73,703
- Political Science$56,161
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$73,383
- Psychology$49,137
- Public Health$75,679
- Public Relations and Advertising$56,381
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Security / Homeland Security$73,289
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work$48,454
- Sociology$50,984
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$51,949
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$66,538
- Studio Art$33,682
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Bloomsburg
2 bedrooms $1,136.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 29 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Columbia County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Columbia County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 93% | $15,699 | 54% | $52,416 | This school |
| Pennsylvania Western University | 94% | $18,256 | 52% | $47,295 | |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 91% | $16,804 | 56% | $51,019 | |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 91% | $21,331 | 54% | $53,775 | |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 86% | $20,787 | 58% | $55,246 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania would cost you $2,557 less per year than Pennsylvania Western University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$2,094).
- Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania gives aided families $802 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Western University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,046 | $11,436 | −$390 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,240 | −$40 |
| Housing & meals | $11,106 | $13,200 | −$2,094 |
| Personal & travel | $3,118 | $3,480 | −$362 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,309 | −$2,440 | +$1,131 |
| Sticker price | $25,161 | $26,916 | −$1,755 |
| Average grants | −$9,462 | −$8,660 | −$802 |
| You pay | $15,699 | $18,256 | −$2,557 |
“+” means Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
What is the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate?
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,327 of 7,733 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1190 on the SAT.
How much does Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,161 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,699 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,374 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,099.
How much do Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania graduates earn?
Former Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania students earn a median $52,416 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania costs about $59,394 after grants ($13,877 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $52,416 ten years after starting, $16,619 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/commonwealth-university-of-pennsylvania (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).