Holy Cross vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to College of the Holy Cross or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Holy Cross 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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College of the Holy Cross vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
College of the Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
College of the Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes Barre
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Overview

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Worcester, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,035 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #81
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website holycross.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $60,050 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $60,050 $23,316
Room & Board $17,750 $13,448
Avg Net Price $35,455 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $41,140 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 91%

Admission

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,670 640
Admitted 1,829 605
Acceptance Rate 21.1% 94.5%
Enrolled % 45% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 28/32
SAT Range 1250/1420 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 15, 2026

Academics

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 91% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $80,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $284 $277

Diversity

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 0% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 88%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 10% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 Holy Cross Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 35% 83%
% Out-of-State 61% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • College of the Holy Cross is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (3,035 students vs. 353 students)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Holy Cross is 334.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($60,050.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 157.5% higher at Holy Cross than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($60,050.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Holy Cross ($16,275 vs. $35,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 32% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($13,448 vs. $17,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than College of the Holy Cross (91% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Holy Cross students is 359.9% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($41,140 vs. $8,945)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross .

  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Holy Cross (21.1%)

Holy Cross vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross.

  • The graduation rate at Holy Cross is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (91% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from College of the Holy Cross earn on average $25,100 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($80,400 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $682 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,500)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than Holy Cross graduates. ($277 vs. $284)
  • More Holy Cross graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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