Lehigh vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Bethlehem, PA Lehman, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 7,590 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $61,180 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $61,180 $23,316
Room & Board $16,470 $13,448
Avg Net Price $33,289 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $43,644 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 91%

Admission

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,415 640
Admitted 5,389 605
Acceptance Rate 29.3% 94.5%
Enrolled % 28.4% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 31/33
SAT Range 1350/1490 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 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,256 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $250 $277

Diversity

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 12% 0%
% Women 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 88%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 9% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 8% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Lehigh Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 23% 83%
% Out-of-State 69% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (7,590 students vs. 353 students)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Lehigh University is 342.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($61,180.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 162.4% higher at Lehigh than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($61,180.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Lehigh ($16,275 vs. $33,289)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 22.5% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($13,448 vs. $16,470)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Lehigh University (91% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 387.9% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($43,644 vs. $8,945)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lehigh 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 Lehigh .

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 356 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Lehigh (29.3%)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh 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 Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $33,900 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $2,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,818)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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