Penn State Harrisburg vs. Widener University-Main Campus

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
Location Middletown, PA Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,572 5,416
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #613 #364
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu widener.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $50,624
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $50,624
Room & Board $14,978 $15,200
Avg Net Price $22,096 $32,185
Avg Grant Aid $8,882 $32,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,925 5,961
Admitted 9,483 5,227
Acceptance Rate 95.5% 87.7%
Enrolled % 12.6% 10.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.46
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28 22/29
SAT Range 1100/1310 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 Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
Graduation Rate 63% 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 Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
% Men 60% 34%
% Women 40% 66%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 59% 70%
% Black 11% 13%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Widener University-Main Campus
% In-State 46% 61%
% Out-of-State 27% 38%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Widener University Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Harrisburg based on total student enrollment (5,416 students vs. 4,572 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Widener University-Main Campus Cost Comparison

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

  • Widener University Main Campus is 229% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($50,624.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 95.8% higher at Widener University-Main Campus than Penn State Harrisburg ($50,624.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Widener University-Main Campus ($22,096 vs. $32,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Harrisburg are 1.5% lower than costs at Widener University Main Campus ($14,978 vs. $15,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Widener University Main Campus than Penn State Harrisburg (97% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Widener University Main Campus students is 264.9% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($32,412 vs. $8,882)

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

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 11 points higher than at Widener University-Main Campus (1032)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Widener University-Main Campus (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Widener University-Main Campus (3.46)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Widener University-Main Campus (87.7%)

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

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Widener University Main Campus (63% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Widener University Main Campus earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State Harrisburg graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg 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/