Penn State vs. Widener University-Main Campus

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or Widener University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Widener University-Main Campus 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Virginia Tech UD Rutgers UConn Pitt UMass UB NC State Michigan State Clemson Syracuse Drexel
Penn State Main Campus vs. Widener University Main Campus comparison
Penn State Main Campus Widener University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus Widener University Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Location University Park, PA Chester, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 50,028 5,416
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #364
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu widener.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $50,624
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $50,624
Room & Board $12,744 $15,200
Avg Net Price $26,747 $32,185
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $32,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 5,961
Admitted 47,360 5,227
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 87.7%
Enrolled % 19.5% 10.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.46
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 22/29
SAT Range 1210/1390 1105/1290
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

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Graduation Rate 87% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $59,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
% Men 53% 34%
% Women 47% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 70%
% Black 4% 13%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 11% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
% In-State 51% 61%
% Out-of-State 40% 38%

Campus

 Penn State Widener University-Main Campus
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Widener University-Main Campus based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 5,416 students)

Penn State vs. Widener University-Main Campus Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Widener University-Main Campus?

  • Widener University Main Campus is 175.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($50,624.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.8% higher at Widener University-Main Campus than Penn State Main Campus ($50,624.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Widener University-Main Campus ($26,747 vs. $32,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 19.3% lower than costs at Widener University Main Campus ($12,744 vs. $15,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Widener University Main Campus than Penn State Main Campus (97% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Widener University Main Campus students is 222% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($32,412 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Widener University-Main Campus Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Widener University-Main Campus? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Widener University-Main Campus or Penn State .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 170 points higher than at Widener University-Main Campus (1032)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Widener University-Main Campus (23)
  • Widener University-Main Campus has a higher acceptance rate (87.7%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. Widener University-Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Widener University-Main Campus? 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 Widener University-Main Campus and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Widener University Main Campus (87% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Widener University Main Campus earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Widener University-Main Campus students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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