Penn State Abington vs. WCU

Should I go to Penn State Abington or West Chester University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Abington or WCU 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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Penn State Abington vs. West Chester University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State Abington West Chester University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Penn State Abington West Chester University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

 Penn State Abington WCU
Location Abington, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,090 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #694 #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Abington WCU
Tuition (In State) $14,684 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $24,586 $19,290
Room & Board $10,694 $14,228
Avg Net Price $20,460 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $9,589 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Abington WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,463 14,778
Admitted 6,037 12,982
Acceptance Rate 93.4% 87.8%
Enrolled % 14.7% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/31 23/30
SAT Range 1070/1310 1080/1260
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

Academics

 Penn State Abington WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Abington WCU
Graduation Rate 44% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Abington WCU
% Men 59% 39%
% Women 41% 61%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 50% 78%
% Black 13% 11%
% Hispanic 10% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

 Penn State Abington WCU
% In-State 68% 87%
% Out-of-State 21% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Abington WCU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 3,090 students)

Penn State Abington vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Abington or WCU?

  • Penn State Abington is 90.3% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($14,684.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.5% higher at Penn State Abington than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($24,586.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than WCU ($20,460 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 33% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($10,694 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (79% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Abington students is 76.2% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($9,589 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Abington vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 97 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.43) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Abington vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Abington or WCU? 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 WCU and Penn State Abington.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Abington (68% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington earn on average $6,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Abington graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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