Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. WCU

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

 Penn State Lehigh Valley WCU
Location Center Valley, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 888 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Lehigh Valley WCU
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $19,290
Room & Board $12,984 $14,228
Avg Net Price $18,142 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Lehigh Valley WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 14,778
Admitted 1,699 12,982
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 87.8%
Enrolled % 15.7% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.43
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 23/30
SAT Range 1100/1290 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 Lehigh Valley WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Lehigh Valley WCU
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Lehigh Valley WCU
% Men 57% 39%
% Women 43% 61%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 78%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 16% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Lehigh Valley WCU
% In-State 93% 87%
% Out-of-State 6% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or WCU?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 89.5% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.1% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($24,318.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than WCU ($18,142 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 9.6% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($12,984 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (78% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 81.6% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($9,886 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 53 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.43) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/