Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Washington, PA 15301-6822
About Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private for-profit trade school in Washington, Pennsylvania, enrolling about 265 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $18,350 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $13,654. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $31,736 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Penn Commercial Business/Technical School charges 18% below the national private for-profit median tuition ($13,654).
- Versus the Pennsylvania median, sticker tuition is 30% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 84.09%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $31,736.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 332% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Commercial Business/Technical School | $13,654 | $18,350 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| Pennsylvania (state median) | $19,450 | $17,754 | 181 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School really?
Key findings
- Penn Commercial Business/Technical School charges 18% below the national private for-profit median tuition ($13,654).
- Versus the Pennsylvania median, sticker tuition is 30% below.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $13,654
Finding Penn Commercial Business/Technical School charges 18% below the national private for-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $13,654. That is 18% below the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the Pennsylvania median ($19,450), sticker tuition is 30% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 15% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is $18,350.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $18,350 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $596 above the Pennsylvania median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $350 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Penn Commercial Business/Technical School, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$13,654
Avg. net price
$18,350
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $14,630 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $14,940 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $19,395 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $23,804 |
| $110,001+ | $23,804 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $54,616. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is known for
Top program completions
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor72
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training35
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist32
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General30
- Real Estate Development27
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Selective — about half of applicants (or fewer) are admitted.
- Yield: 64% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
Campus
Location
Washington, PA
City / state
- ZIP
- 15301-6822
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 2% below the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Mid East
- Carnegie
- Associate's Colleges: High Vocational & Technical-High Nontraditional
Size
Enrollment
265
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 523
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$11,638
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 41.26%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $26,110 |
| 2014 | $21,000 | $21,000 | $25,757 |
| 2015 | $22,500 | $22,500 | $26,582 |
| 2016 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $28,393 |
| 2017 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $31,953 |
| 2018 | $19,129 | $19,129 | $14,338 |
| 2019 | $17,313 | $17,313 | $15,047 |
| 2020 | $17,313 | $17,313 | $16,084 |
| 2021 | $12,075 | $12,075 | $15,199 |
| 2022 | $12,116 | $12,116 | $15,543 |
| 2023 | $13,654 | $13,654 | $17,147 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is selective, accepting about half of all applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School reported total enrollment of about 265 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 46% male and 54% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (75.1%), Black or African American (16.2%), and Hispanic or Latino (2.6%). About 41.26% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 52.3% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School in 2024 is 265 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 523 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
83.3%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
84.09% 100% Completion Time
84.09% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 84.09% of students graduating from Penn Commercial Business/Technical School completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor: 92% male / 8% female
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 14% male / 86% female
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist: 3% male / 97% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School graduates earn a median of $31,736 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $31,736. Median federal loan debt: $11,638. Average net price used in cost models: $18,350.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Penn Commercial Business/Technical School graduates report median earnings of $31,736 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (13 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Penn Commercial Business/Technical School—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 100.0%
- Pennsylvania median 36.9 pp above median (63.1%)
- Mid East median 43.1 pp above median (56.9%)
- U.S. median 42.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $4,152
- Pennsylvania median 0.52× the median ($8,003)
- Mid East median 0.51× the median ($8,119)
- U.S. median 0.55× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $4,379
- Pennsylvania median 0.51× the median ($8,615)
- Mid East median 0.48× the median ($9,164)
- U.S. median 0.60× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School at a glance
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private for-profit institution in Washington, PA, classified as Associate's Colleges: High Vocational & Technical-High Nontraditional.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and InstructorLicensed Practical/Vocational Nurse TrainingAesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian75.1%Black or African American16.2%Hispanic or Latino2.6%
Schools near Penn Commercial Business/Technical School
Other campuses in Washington, PA when available, plus nearby institutions in Pennsylvania.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Pennsylvania, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School located?
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is located in Washington, PA.
What is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is 55.8% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 90 applicants and 66 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School's tuition?
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $13,654 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $18,350 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Penn Commercial Business/Technical School cost?
Reported tuition is $13,654 and average net price is $18,350 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $8,100 annually.
What explains Penn Commercial Business/Technical School's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($18,350), completion (84.1% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($31,736). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School?
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School reports undergraduate enrollment of about 523 students, White (75.1%), Black or African American (16.2%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Penn Commercial Business/Technical School?
About 52.3% of students at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Penn Commercial Business/Technical School earn?
Median earnings are $30,177 six years after entry and $31,736 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School?
The 150%-time completion rate is 84.1% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Penn Commercial Business/Technical School students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $11,638.
Is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School public or private?
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private for-profit institution located in Washington, PA.
Is Penn Commercial Business/Technical School an HBCU?
No. Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Pennsylvania college profile
- Pennsylvania college costs
- Pennsylvania colleges by ROI
- Pennsylvania trade schools profile
- Washington, Pennsylvania city profile
- Mid East regional profile
- Rural college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Pennsylvania
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.