Emerson vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Boston, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 5,670 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #215
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website emerson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $54,400 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $54,400 $23,316
Room & Board $20,310 $13,448
Avg Net Price $50,703 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $26,447 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 91%

Admission

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,092 640
Admitted 5,267 605
Acceptance Rate 47.5% 94.5%
Enrolled % 18.9% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 30/33
SAT Range 1250/1410 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 20, 2026

Academics

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Communication (33%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (29%)
  • English and Literature (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Health Professions (2%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 81% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $242 $277

Diversity

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 4% 0%
% Women 23% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 88%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 7% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Emerson Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 15% 83%
% Out-of-State 68% 17%

Campus

 Emerson 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

  • Emerson College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (5,670 students vs. 353 students)

Emerson vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Emerson College is 293.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($54,400.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 133.3% higher at Emerson than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($54,400.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Emerson ($16,275 vs. $50,703)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 51% lower than costs at Emerson College ($13,448 vs. $20,310)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Emerson College (91% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Emerson College students is 195.7% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($26,447 vs. $8,945)

Emerson vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Emerson 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 Emerson .

  • The average SAT score at Emerson College (1211) is 229 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Emerson students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Emerson (47.5%)

Emerson vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Emerson 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 Emerson.

  • The graduation rate at Emerson is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (81% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $6,100 more per year than Emerson graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,200)
  • Emerson College students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Emerson graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More Emerson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

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