Kent State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Kent, OH Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 25,854 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #839
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kent.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $12,304 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $21,410 $23,086
Room & Board $12,676 $12,984
Avg Net Price $19,046 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $9,539 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 94%

Admission

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,369 653
Admitted 17,929 622
Acceptance Rate 88% 95.3%
Enrolled % 23.9% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25
SAT Range 990/1220 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 1, 2025

Academics

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 50% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,300 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,825 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $267 $277

Diversity

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 37% 64%
% Women 63% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 88%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Kent State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 80% 83%
% Out-of-State 18% 17%

Campus

Kent State 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

  • Kent State University at Kent is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (25,854 students vs. 368 students)

Kent State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 12.4% more expensive to attend than Kent State for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $12,304.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.8% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Kent State University at Kent ($23,086.00 vs. $21,410.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Kent State ($16,728 vs. $19,046)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kent State University at Kent are 2.4% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($12,676 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kent State University at Kent than Penn State Wilkes Barre (96% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 11.1% larger than aid received Kent State University at Kent ($10,598 vs. $9,539)

Kent State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Kent State 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 Kent State .

  • The average SAT score at Kent State University at Kent (1067) is 85 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Kent State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Kent State (88%)

Kent State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kent State 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 Kent State.

  • The graduation rate at Kent State is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (50% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $15,000 more per year than Kent State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,300)
  • Kent State University at Kent students graduate with a $993 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($25,825 vs. $26,818)
  • Kent State graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($267 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kent State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 46%)

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