Kean vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Union, NJ Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 12,884 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #663
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kean.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $10,758 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $18,150 $23,086
Room & Board $14,834 $12,984
Avg Net Price $10,747 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $13,123 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 94%

Admission

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,485 653
Admitted 8,661 622
Acceptance Rate 82.6% 95.3%
Enrolled % 22.7% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/25
SAT Range 900/1160 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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 49% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 36% 64%
% Women 64% 36%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 36% 88%
% Black 20% 3%
% Hispanic 27% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

 Kean Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 92% 83%
% Out-of-State 3% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Kean University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (12,884 students vs. 368 students)

Kean vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 28.5% more expensive to attend than Kean for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $10,758.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.2% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Kean University ($23,086.00 vs. $18,150.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Kean University than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($10,747 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 14.2% lower than costs at Kean University ($12,984 vs. $14,834)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kean University than Penn State Wilkes Barre (97% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kean University students is 23.8% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($13,123 vs. $10,598)

Kean vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Kean 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 Kean .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Wilkes Barre (982) is 54 points higher than at Kean (928)
  • Incoming Penn State Wilkes-Barre students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Kean (19)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Kean (82.6%)

Kean vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kean 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 Kean.

  • The graduation rate at Kean is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (49% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $8,900 more per year than Kean graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,400)
  • Kean University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Kean graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kean students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 52%)

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