Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. BC

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
Location Lehman, PA Bridgewater, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Small Suburban
Enrollment 353 1,436
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #603
Religious Affiliation - Church of Brethren - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $40,300
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $40,300
Room & Board $13,448 $14,370
Avg Net Price $16,275 $19,660
Avg Grant Aid $8,945 $36,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 640 3,984
Admitted 605 3,618
Acceptance Rate 94.5% 90.8%
Enrolled % 14.9% 11.9%
Avg High School GPA - 3.61
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/29
SAT Range 1060/1305 1070/1375
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 May 1, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
Graduation Rate 47% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
% Men 0% 1%
% Women 1% 2%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 73%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
% In-State 83% 69%
% Out-of-State 17% 25%

Campus

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre BC
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

  • Bridgewater College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,436 students vs. 353 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. BC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or BC?

  • Bridgewater College is 191.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($40,300.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.8% higher at BC than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($40,300.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than BC ($16,275 vs. $19,660)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 6.9% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($13,448 vs. $14,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Penn State Wilkes Barre (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 306.4% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($36,350 vs. $8,945)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bridgewater College (1034) is 52 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming BC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than BC (90.8%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or BC? 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 BC and Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

  • The graduation rate at BC is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (59% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $12,200 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,100)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/