Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
NYU Johns Hopkins Case Western Cornell Emory Penn Duke Georgetown WUSTL Swarthmore Caltech Harvard| Carnegie Mellon University | Penn State Wilkes Barre | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
| Location | Pittsburgh, PA | Lehman, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 15,596 | 353 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #43 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | cmu.edu | psu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,260 | $13,824 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,260 | $23,316 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,468 | $13,448 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $32,964 | $16,275 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $47,550 | $8,945 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 49% | 91% |
Admission |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 33,707 | 640 | ||
| Admitted | 3,843 | 605 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 11.4% | 94.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 44.4% | 14.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.89 | - | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | - | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Challenging | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | |||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | |||
| SAT Range | 1500/1570 | 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 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 5:1 | 10:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 47% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $102,700 | $55,300 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 91% | 69% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $26,250 | $26,818 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $271 | $277 |
Diversity |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 32% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 21% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 32% | 88% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 8% | 5% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 2% | ||
| % International | 18% | 0% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 1% |
Students |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 9% | 83% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 71% | 17% | ||
Campus |
Carnegie Mellon | Penn State Wilkes-Barre | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | No | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | No | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (15,596 students vs. 353 students)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?
- Carnegie Mellon University is 350.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($62,260.00 vs. $13,824.00)
- Out of state tuition is 167% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($62,260.00 vs. $23,316.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Carnegie Mellon ($16,275 vs. $32,964)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 29.9% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($13,448 vs. $17,468)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Carnegie Mellon University (91% vs. 49%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Carnegie Mellon University students is 431.6% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($47,550 vs. $8,945)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Carnegie Mellon 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 Carnegie Mellon .
- The average SAT score at Carnegie Mellon University (1448) is 466 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
- Incoming Carnegie Mellon students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
- Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Carnegie Mellon (11.4%)
Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Carnegie Mellon 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 Carnegie Mellon.
- The graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (87% vs. 47%)
- Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $47,400 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $55,300)
- Carnegie Mellon University students graduate with a $568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($26,250 vs. $26,818)
- Carnegie Mellon graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($271 vs. $277)
- More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 69%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/