Howard vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Washington, DC Lehman, PA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 13,416 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #249
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $23,316
Room & Board $16,474 $13,448
Avg Net Price $30,028 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 91%

Admission

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,342 640
Admitted 10,587 605
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 94.5%
Enrolled % 21.4% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/28
SAT Range 1100/1298 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 15, 2026

Academics

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 63% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 8% 0%
% Women 16% 1%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 88%
% Black 91% 3%
% Hispanic 0% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Howard Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 1% 83%
% Out-of-State 91% 17%

Campus

 Howard 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

  • Howard University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (13,416 students vs. 353 students)

Howard vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Howard University is 137.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($32,878.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41% higher at Howard than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($32,878.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Howard ($16,275 vs. $30,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 22.5% lower than costs at Howard University ($13,448 vs. $16,474)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Penn State Wilkes Barre (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 139.5% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($21,422 vs. $8,945)

Howard vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard 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 Howard .

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 123 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Howard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Howard (34.9%)

Howard vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Howard is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $3,500 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,800)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 33%)

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