Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Wilkes

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

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
Location Erie, PA Wilkes-Barre, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 3,295 5,207
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #503 #478
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wilkes.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $39,134
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $39,134
Room & Board $12,984 $15,850
Avg Net Price $21,968 $27,918
Avg Grant Aid $9,685 $29,441
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,363 4,798
Admitted 4,164 4,517
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 94.1%
Enrolled % 19.9% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 21/26
SAT Range 1095/1330 1060/1260
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 Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
Graduation Rate 66% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $268

Diversity

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
% Men 64% 31%
% Women 36% 69%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 73%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 2% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 9% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Wilkes
% In-State 74% 75%
% Out-of-State 19% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wilkes University is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (5,207 students vs. 3,295 students)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Wilkes Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or Wilkes?

  • Wilkes University is 154.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Erie-Behrend College for in-state tuition ($39,134.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.4% higher at Wilkes than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($39,134.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Erie Behrend College than Wilkes ($21,968 vs. $27,918)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Erie Behrend College are 22.1% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($12,984 vs. $15,850)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Penn State Erie Behrend College (97% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 204% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($29,441 vs. $9,685)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Wilkes Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Erie Behrend College (1054) is 1 points higher than at Wilkes (1053)
  • Accepted freshman Wilkes students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than Wilkes (94.1%)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Wilkes Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or Wilkes? 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 Wilkes and Penn State Erie-Behrend College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Erie-Behrend College is higher than Wilkes University (66% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Wilkes University earn on average $2,900 more per year than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates after ten years. ($58,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Wilkes University students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wilkes graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wilkes graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/