Gordon College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Wenham, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,628 368
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #552
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gordon.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $26,010 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $26,010 $23,086
Room & Board $12,150 $12,984
Avg Net Price $24,483 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $15,181 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 94%

Admission

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,395 653
Admitted 1,280 622
Acceptance Rate 91.8% 95.3%
Enrolled % 24.8% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.58 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/29
SAT Range 1086/1313 1070/1260
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 1, 2025

Academics

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 74% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 38% 64%
% Women 62% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 88%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 8% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Gordon College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 37% 83%
% Out-of-State 54% 17%

Campus

 Gordon College 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

  • Gordon College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,628 students vs. 368 students)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Gordon College is 88.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($26,010.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.7% higher at Gordon College than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($26,010.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Gordon College ($16,728 vs. $24,483)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Gordon College are 6.9% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($12,150 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gordon College than Penn State Wilkes Barre (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gordon College students is 43.2% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($15,181 vs. $10,598)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Gordon College 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 Gordon College .

  • The average SAT score at Gordon College (1112) is 130 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Gordon College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Gordon College (91.8%)

Gordon College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gordon College 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 Gordon College.

  • The graduation rate at Gordon College is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (74% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $10,000 more per year than Gordon College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $45,300)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Gordon College graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Gordon College graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Gordon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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