| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public four-year university campus (PASSHE); in person, with many programs also offered through PennWest Global Online |
| Campus | 1: California, PA (250 University Ave.), about 35 miles from Pittsburgh. PennWest’s other in-person campuses are Clarion and Edinboro |
| Credentials | Associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certificates; doctoral degrees through Global Online |
| Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education, reaffirmed through 2033 (announced 2 July 2025) |
| 2026-27 undergraduate tuition | $347 per credit (Pennsylvania residents), $521 (out-of-state), on campus |
| Students | 2,493 at the California campus (fall 2025); 10,542 at PennWest overall, 4,908 of them in Global Online (fall 2026) |
| Owner | Pennsylvania Western University, formed in 2022 from California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion and Edinboro |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
PennWest California: the former Cal U, now one campus of a three-campus university
PennWest California is the California, Pennsylvania campus of Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest), a public university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). PennWest was formed when California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U), Clarion University and Edinboro University were integrated, a change the Middle States Commission on Higher Education approved on 10 March 2022. Tuition is set by the PASSHE Board of Governors and the PennWest Council of Trustees.
The campus is in the borough of California, about 35 miles from Pittsburgh. It had 2,493 students in fall 2025, according to figures reported by the Mon Valley Independent. Across all of PennWest, fall 2026 enrollment was 10,542, essentially flat on the year, with 4,908 studying through Global Online, as reported by WPXI in September 2026.
Career-focused programs taught at the California campus
The table lists the California campus programs that lead to a license, carry programmatic accreditation or match a common career path. Program availability comes from each PennWest program page; the full list is in the 2026-27 catalog.
| Program | Credential | Delivery at California | Where offered | Accreditation / exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS, 69 credits | In person | California only | CAPTE; NPTE-PTA exam and Pennsylvania license |
| Counseling: Clinical Mental Health; School Counseling | MS, 60 credits | In person and online | California and Global Online | CACREP; Pennsylvania counselor license path and school-counselor certification |
| Electrical Engineering Technology (incl. Computer Engineering Technology) | BS, 122-124 credits | In person | California only | ABET (ETAC); FE exam eligible |
| Mechatronics Engineering Technology | BS, 120 credits | In person | California only | ABET (ETAC) |
| Computer Science | BS, 120 credits | In person | California and Edinboro | ABET (CAC) |
| Computer Information Systems | BS, 120 credits | In person | California and Global Online | ABET (CAC) |
| Accounting | AS, 60 credits; BSBA, 120 credits | AS in person, BSBA blended | California and Global Online | ACBSP |
| Management; Marketing | BSBA, 120 credits each | In person | California (management also online) | ACBSP |
| Criminal Justice | AS, 60 credits; BS, 120 credits | In person | California, Clarion and Edinboro (blended), Global Online | No police academy (Act 120) training mentioned |
PennWest made large program changes for fall 2026. It cut the Commercial Music Technology bachelor’s, which was taught at California (current students may finish), and the two-year Engineering Technology AS. Graphic design, studio arts and art education were proposed for discontinuation at California in December 2025, and PennWest’s program pages now show graphic design, studio arts and media arts as offered at Edinboro, not California.
What the main programs cover
Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)
The 69-credit Physical Therapist Assistant AAS is taught in person at the California campus only; PennWest does not offer it at Clarion, Edinboro or online. Students move into a Technical Phase, the point from which the program counts its graduation rate, and complete clinical internships before graduating. The program prepares graduates for the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs (NPTE-PTA) and Pennsylvania licensure. Ask the program for the Technical Phase admission criteria and the number of clinical hours.
Counseling (MS)
The MS in Counseling is 60 credits, with Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling tracks, taught in person at California and through Global Online. Both tracks were accredited by CACREP, as PennWest announced on 24 June 2025, and an accelerated master’s option began in fall 2025. The clinical mental health track leads toward the Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor credential, which also needs supervised experience after the degree; the school track leads to Pennsylvania school-counselor certification. An Art Therapy concentration and graduate certificates, including Substance Use Disorder, are online only.
Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology (BS)
Electrical Engineering Technology (122-124 credits, with a Computer Engineering Technology concentration) and Mechatronics Engineering Technology (120 credits) are bachelor’s degrees taught only at the California campus. Both are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET. PennWest says Electrical Engineering Technology graduates are eligible for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and calls its mechatronics degree the only BS in Mechatronics Engineering Technology in Pennsylvania. With the two-year Engineering Technology AS cut for fall 2026, these four-year degrees are the campus’s engineering technology route, and we found no separate CAD or drafting program at PennWest.
Computer Science and Computer Information Systems (BS)
Computer Science (120 credits) is taught in person at California and Edinboro, and Computer Information Systems (120 credits) at California and through Global Online. Both are accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. Game programming and graphics are electives within computer science rather than concentrations, and neither degree has a software engineering, web development or cybersecurity track. PennWest’s cybersecurity programs are a 30-credit Professional Science Master’s, which includes a 6-credit internship, and a 12-credit graduate certificate, both offered online only.
Accounting and business (AS, BSBA)
Accounting is offered at California as a 60-credit AS taught in person and a 120-credit BSBA taught in a blended format, and both are also available through Global Online. Management and Marketing are 120-credit BSBA degrees taught in person at California; PennWest cut the online marketing degree. All of PennWest’s associate, bachelor’s and master’s business degrees are accredited by ACBSP. The accounting page says graduates can go on to become Certified Public Accountants, but it does not report how its graduates do on the CPA exam.
Tuition and fees for 2026-27
PennWest has two residency tiers, Pennsylvania resident and out-of-state (which includes international students), and charges a flat per-term tuition for 12 to 18 credits. Global Online costs less than studying on campus, because online fees are lower and out-of-state online tuition is close to the resident rate. Rates need PASSHE Board and Council of Trustees approval.
| 2026-27 undergraduate | Per credit (tuition) | Per credit with fees | Per term, 12-18 credits (tuition) | Per term with mandatory fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania resident, on campus | $347 | $513.90 | $4,169 | $6,262.50 |
| Out-of-state, on campus | $521 | $722.90 | $6,254 | $8,824.50 |
| Pennsylvania resident, Global Online | $347 | $416.90 | $4,169 | $5,121.50 |
| Out-of-state, Global Online | $354 | $458.90 | $4,253 | $5,682.50 |
On-campus mandatory fees for a Pennsylvania resident each term are $384 for technology, $568.50 for instructional support (at 15 credits), $295 for university services, $325 for the student center, $197 for the recreation center and $324 for student activities; out-of-state students pay $576 for technology and $853.50 for instructional support. These figures do not include housing, dining, books, parking or course fees.
| 2026-27 master’s and certificates, per credit with fees | On campus | Global Online |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania resident | $811.07 | $692.07 |
| Out-of-state | $1,154.00 | $767.00 |
PennWest’s published total for a 9-credit graduate term on campus is $7,288.63 for residents and $10,375.00 for out-of-state students. See PennWest’s tuition and fees page for the current rates.
Accreditation and published results
PennWest is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). After a self-study begun in 2023 and an on-site evaluation in March 2025, MSCHE reaffirmed its accreditation through 2033; PennWest announced the decision on 2 July 2025, and the announcement mentions no warning, probation or follow-up report.
Programmatic accreditation for California campus programs: CAPTE (Physical Therapist Assistant), the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology), the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (Computer Science and Computer Information Systems), CACREP (Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling) and ACBSP (business degrees). PennWest’s pre-licensure BSN nursing program is taught at Clarion and Edinboro only; the California campus has no pre-licensure nursing, and the online RN-BSN is for nurses who already hold an RN license.
The Physical Therapist Assistant program publishes these results on its program page:
| PTA measure | Result | Period and definition |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 71% (2024: 75%; 2025: 68%) | Classes of 2024-2025, students admitted to the Technical Phase |
| NPTE pass rate, all attempts | 88% (2023: 92.3%; 2024: 83.3%) | Two-year rate, 2023-2024 |
| NPTE pass rate, first attempt | 2023: 69%; 2024: 41% (two-year 56%) | First-time takers |
| Employment rate | 94.7% (2023: 90%; 2024: 100%) | Two-year rate, graduates seeking employment |
The two-year all-attempts pass rate of 88% is above the 85% that CAPTE requires, but the 2024 first-attempt NPTE pass rate was 41%. University-wide, PennWest reported a fall 2026 retention rate of 73.06%, up from 71.11%.
Before you enroll
- Physical Therapist Assistant students should look at first-time results as well as the headline: the first-attempt NPTE pass rate was 41% in 2024, against 69% in 2023.
- There is no pre-licensure nursing at the California campus. PennWest’s BSN for new nurses is taught at Clarion and Edinboro.
- The Medical Imaging BS is not an entry-level radiography program: it is for technologists who already hold a credential, and it is taught at Clarion and online, not at California.
- Counseling and PennWest’s other licensure programs are designed for Pennsylvania licensure. PennWest’s state authorization page notes that SARA does not cover licensure in other states, and Colorado allows only paid field experiences.
- PennWest’s criminal justice program page does not mention police academy (Act 120) training or any certification.
- PennWest cut or moved several programs for fall 2026, including Commercial Music Technology and the art and design programs once taught at California. Check the program page for the campus where a program is taught before you apply.
Sources
Checked October 2026: PennWest California campus · 2026-27 catalog · Undergraduate tuition and fees · Graduate tuition and fees · MSCHE reaffirmation (July 2025) · Physical Therapist Assistant program · Counseling (graduate) · State authorization
Programs & Courses
Healthcare and Nursing
- Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)
Social Services
- Counseling (MS): Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Counseling (MS): School Counseling
Business
- Accounting (AS and BSBA)
- Management (BSBA)
- Marketing (BSBA)
Computer and Information Technology
- Computer Science (BS)
- Computer Information Systems (BS)
Electrical
- Electrical Engineering Technology (BS), including Computer Engineering Technology
- Mechatronics Engineering Technology (BS)
Criminal Justice and Law
- Criminal Justice (AS and BS)
Campus Locations
California, PA 250 University Ave., California, PA 15419