Bridgewater State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to Bridgewater State University or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bridgewater State or Penn State Wilkes-Barre is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Bridgewater State University vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
Bridgewater State University Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
Bridgewater State University Penn State Wilkes Barre
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Overview

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Bridgewater, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,550 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #643
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bridgew.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $910 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $7,050 $23,316
Room & Board $14,586 $13,448
Avg Net Price $16,230 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $8,911 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 91%

Admission

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,631 640
Admitted 7,698 605
Acceptance Rate 89.2% 94.5%
Enrolled % 20.5% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.21 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/27
SAT Range 1040/1230 1060/1305
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2026

Academics

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (17%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 52% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,590 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $254 $277

Diversity

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 4% 0%
% Women 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 88%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 90% 83%
% Out-of-State 9% 17%

Campus

 Bridgewater State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bridgewater State University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (9,550 students vs. 353 students)

Bridgewater State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bridgewater State or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 1,419.1% more expensive to attend than Bridgewater State for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $910.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 230.7% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Bridgewater State University ($23,316.00 vs. $7,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater State University than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($16,230 vs. $16,275)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 8.5% lower than costs at Bridgewater State University ($13,448 vs. $14,586)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Bridgewater State University (91% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 0.4% larger than aid received Bridgewater State University ($8,945 vs. $8,911)

Bridgewater State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bridgewater State or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Bridgewater State .

  • The average SAT score at Bridgewater State University (996) is 14 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Bridgewater State students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Bridgewater State (89.2%)

Bridgewater State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bridgewater State or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Bridgewater State.

  • The graduation rate at Bridgewater State is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (52% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $9,600 more per year than Bridgewater State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,700)
  • Bridgewater State University students graduate with a $2,228 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($24,590 vs. $26,818)
  • Bridgewater State graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($254 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bridgewater State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/