Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, PA
93.1%
Acceptance Rate
$11,046
Avg Cost (In-State)
$22,870
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
53.7%
Graduation Rate
9,210
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$25
Interview
Not required
Essays: Personal statement required as part of application
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$44,053
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$52,416
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
54%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $45,093 | $64,030 | 694 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $77,809 | $89,958 | 281 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | $37,839 | $55,909 | 279 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | $38,488 | $56,381 | 174 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | $43,291 | $48,662 | 171 |
| Psychology, General. | $29,535 | $49,137 | 163 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | $35,613 | $53,736 | 151 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $31,419 | $52,825 | 129 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Penn State Bunton-Waller Fellowship
Tuition + research/teaching stipend
universityUnderrepresented PhD students at Penn State pursuing teaching/research careers.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Drexel Dean's Merit Scholarship
$10,000-$24,000/year
universityDrexel incoming freshmen with strong academic profile; tiered automatic award.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Pennsylvania State Grant
Up to $5,750/year
statePennsylvania residents attending approved PA or reciprocal-state schools. Based on financial need via FAFSA.
Deadline: May 1 (August 1 for renewals)
Learn more ↗Penn State Provost Award
$2,000-$5,000/year
universityOOS students in top 10% of class with strong test scores. Automatic.
Deadline: November 30
Learn more ↗Bryn Mawr Need-Met Aid
100% need met
universityAll admitted Bryn Mawr students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Penn State Schreyer Honors College Scholarship
$5,000-$8,000/year
universityAdmission to Schreyer Honors College; competitive nationwide.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗Philadelphia Foundation Scholarships
$500-$10,000
localPhiladelphia-area students; many named funds.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗Pittsburgh Chancellor's Scholarship
Full tuition + housing + meals + book stipend
universityTop ~20 incoming Pitt freshmen nationally; based on academic record + interview + essay.
Deadline: December 15
Learn more ↗PA Chafee Education and Training Grant
Up to $5,000/year
statePA former foster youth ages 16-25.
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 93.1% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
93.09%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
31.8%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
34.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
12.8%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
77.6%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
54.5%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
93.3% acceptance
Both admit around 93% of applicants, with 14k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA
93.3% acceptance
Both admit around 93% of applicants, with 13k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA
92.7% acceptance
Both admit around 93% of applicants, with 14k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
University Park, PA
91.2% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 93%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $23k.
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, NY
92.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (92% vs 93%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $23k.
Pennsylvania Western University
California, PA
94.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (94% vs 93%) but out-of-state cost runs $16k — meaningfully less than $23k.
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