Penn State Harrisburg vs. WCU

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

Penn State Harrisburg WCU
Location Middletown, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Harrisburg WCU
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $19,290
Room & Board $14,978 $14,228
Avg Net Price $22,096 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 64%

Admission

Penn State Harrisburg WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 14,778
Admitted 9,483 12,982
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 87.8%
Enrolled % 12.6% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 23/30
SAT Range 1100/1310 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 Harrisburg WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

Penn State Harrisburg WCU
Graduation Rate 63% 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 Harrisburg WCU
% Men 60% 39%
% Women 40% 61%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 78%
% Black 11% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

Penn State Harrisburg WCU
% In-State 46% 87%
% Out-of-State 27% 12%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WCU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 99.4% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($25,854.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than WCU ($22,096 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are 5.3% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($14,228 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Chester University of Pennsylvania than Penn State Harrisburg (64% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Harrisburg students is 63.2% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($8,882 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 29 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at WCU (3.43)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg 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/