Penn State New Kensington vs. Wilkes

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

Penn State New Kensington Wilkes
Location Upper Burrell, PA Wilkes-Barre, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 456 5,198
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #416
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wilkes.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State New Kensington Wilkes
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $40,308
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $40,308
Room & Board $13,448 $16,006
Avg Net Price $19,294 $28,508
Avg Grant Aid $7,450 $28,507
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 100%

Admission

Penn State New Kensington Wilkes
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 643 6,414
Admitted 600 5,866
Acceptance Rate 93.3% 91.5%
Enrolled % 20.8% 8.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.56
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/27 20/29
SAT Range 1030/1270 1023/1270
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 New Kensington Wilkes
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State New Kensington Wilkes
Graduation Rate 40% 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 New Kensington Wilkes
% Men 1% 13%
% Women 6% 49%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 87% 73%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 2% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 2% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State New Kensington Wilkes
% In-State 85% 75%
% Out-of-State 13% 20%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wilkes University is larger than than Penn State New Kensington based on total student enrollment (5,198 students vs. 456 students)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Wilkes Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State New Kensington or Wilkes?

  • Wilkes University is 191.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State New Kensington for in-state tuition ($40,308.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.9% higher at Wilkes than Penn State New Kensington ($40,308.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State New Kensington than Wilkes ($19,294 vs. $28,508)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State New Kensington are 19% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($13,448 vs. $16,006)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Penn State New Kensington (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 282.6% larger than aid received Penn State New Kensington ($28,507 vs. $7,450)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Wilkes Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wilkes University (1053) is 73 points higher than at Penn State New Kensington (980)
  • Penn State New Kensington has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than Wilkes (91.5%)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Wilkes Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State New Kensington 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 New Kensington.

  • The graduation rate at Wilkes is higher than Penn State New Kensington (58% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Wilkes University earn on average $2,900 more per year than Penn State New Kensington 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 New Kensington graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wilkes graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wilkes graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State New Kensington 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/