Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Mason

Should I go to Penn State Wilkes Barre or George Mason University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Mason 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

JMU VCU Virginia Tech CNU Old Dominion UVA UMBC UNC Charlotte UB William & Mary Mary Washington College ASU
Penn State Wilkes Barre vs. George Mason University comparison
Penn State Wilkes Barre George Mason University College 3 College 4
Penn State Wilkes Barre George Mason University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
Location Lehman, PA Fairfax, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 368 39,049
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #228
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu gmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $9,795
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $35,377
Room & Board $12,984 $13,120
Avg Net Price $16,728 $18,479
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $10,760
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 74%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 20,001
Admitted 622 18,001
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 90%
Enrolled % 20.4% 23%
Avg High School GPA - 3.68
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/31
SAT Range 1070/1260 1140/1350
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
Graduation Rate 47% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $277 $204

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
% Men 64% 48%
% Women 36% 52%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 88% 43%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mason
% In-State 83% 77%
% Out-of-State 17% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • George Mason University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (39,049 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Mason Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 41.1% more expensive to attend than Mason for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $9,795.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53.2% higher at Mason than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($35,377.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Mason ($16,728 vs. $18,479)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 1% lower than costs at George Mason University ($12,984 vs. $13,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than George Mason University (94% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by George Mason University students is 1.5% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($10,760 vs. $10,598)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Mason Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at George Mason University (1153) is 171 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Mason students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Mason (90%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Mason is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (64% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from George Mason University earn on average $6,600 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $55,300)
  • George Mason University students graduate with a $7,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($19,750 vs. $26,818)
  • Mason graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($204 vs. $277)
  • More Mason graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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