Houghton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Houghton, NY Lehman, PA
Setting Remote Rural Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,014 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #447
Religious Affiliation Wesleyan - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website houghton.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $16,690 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $16,690 $23,316
Room & Board $10,810 $13,448
Avg Net Price $22,358 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $7,149 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 91%

Admission

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,068 640
Admitted 990 605
Acceptance Rate 92.7% 94.5%
Enrolled % 23.7% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.25 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28
SAT Range 1180/1390 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

Academics

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 68% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $263 $277

Diversity

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

Students

 Houghton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 57% 83%
% Out-of-State 43% 17%

Campus

 Houghton 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

  • Houghton College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,014 students vs. 353 students)

Houghton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Houghton College is 20.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($16,690.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39.7% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Houghton College ($23,316.00 vs. $16,690.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Houghton College ($16,275 vs. $22,358)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Houghton College are 24.4% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($10,810 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Houghton College than Penn State Wilkes Barre (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 25.1% larger than aid received Houghton College ($8,945 vs. $7,149)

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

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

  • The average SAT score at Houghton College (1110) is 128 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Houghton College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Houghton College (92.7%)

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

Which is better, Houghton 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 Houghton College.

  • The graduation rate at Houghton College is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $11,000 more per year than Houghton College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,300)
  • Houghton College students graduate with a $1,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($25,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Houghton College graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($263 vs. $277)
  • More Houghton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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