Private for-profit · Community college
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Washington, Pennsylvania · Large suburb
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $18,350
- Avg net price
- 84%
- Grad / completion
- $31,736
- Median earnings
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Washington, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 265 undergraduates.
About Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The French labeled the area "Wissameking", meaning "catfish place", as early as 1757. Washington Symphony Orchestra, founded 2002, offers four to five concerts annually. The Washington Community Theatre presents several musicals and other productions throughout the year, with a feature production held each June in the Main Pavilion at Washington Park. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 22 miles to Pittsburgh, PA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 119 miles
- Nearest airport
- 21 miles to Pittsburgh (PIT) · major hub
How Penn Commercial Business/Technical School compares
More selective than 80% · #10 most selective of 40 in Pennsylvania
Higher than 83% · #34 of 151 in Pennsylvania
Higher than 70%
Higher than 38% · #93 of 137 in Pennsylvania
Cheaper than 38% · #81 cheapest of 152 in Pennsylvania
Lower than 32%
Lower than 86%
Larger than 51%
Percentiles compare Penn Commercial Business/Technical School with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Pennsylvania.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women15860%
- Men10740%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White75%
- Black16%
- Hispanic2.6%
- Asian1.1%
- Other or multiracial4.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 265
- Student–faculty ratio
- 9 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 41%
- First-generation students
- 52%
- Students over 25
- 43%
- Median family income
- $22,194
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $37,368
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $13,654
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,950
- Total cost of attendance
- $23,804
- Average net price
- $18,350
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 55.8%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 84%
- First-year retention
- 83%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $30,177
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $31,736
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,638
- Students with federal loans
- 46%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 38%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $25
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.
Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $31,736
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,638
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 36%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $18,092 (65%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 83°F
- Winter low
- 20°F
- Annual rain
- 41.3″
- Annual snow
- 31.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Washington 3 NE, PA US station (2.6 mi from campus).
What Penn Commercial Business/Technical School graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Penn Commercial Business/Technical School side by side →
Miller-Motte College-Berks Technical Institute-Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 3 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 285
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $31k
Walnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city · 2 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 175
- Tuition
- $29k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $37k
Fortis Institute-Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania · Small city · 1 mi to Scranton
- Students
- 372
- Tuition
- $15k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $30k
Vet Tech Institute
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Large city · < 1 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 183
- Tuition
- $17k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
Metro Beauty Academy
Allentown, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 4 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 197
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $34k
CDE Career Institute
Tannersville, Pennsylvania · Fringe rural · 31 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 311
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $31k
Colleges near Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Washington Health System School of Nursing
Washington, PA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 37 students
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, PA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,295 students
Western Area Career & Technology Center
Canonsburg, PA · Public · Certificate · 23 students
Bethany College
Bethany, WV · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 614 students
South Hills Beauty Academy
Pittsburgh, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 183 students
Douglas Education Center
Monessen, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 178 students
Empire Beauty School-West Mifflin
West Mifflin, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 82 students
West Liberty University
West Liberty, WV · Public · Bachelor's · 1,511 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.