Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. JMU

Should I go to Penn State Wilkes Barre or James Madison University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Wilkes-Barre or JMU 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. James Madison University comparison
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Penn State Wilkes Barre James Madison University
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Overview

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
Location Lehman, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 368 22,224
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #260
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $24,744
Room & Board $12,984 $12,040
Avg Net Price $16,728 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 33%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 30,727
Admitted 622 24,062
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 78.3%
Enrolled % 20.4% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.57
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/29
SAT Range 1070/1260 1140/1320
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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
Graduation Rate 47% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $60,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $20,899
Median Loan Payment $277 $216

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
% Men 64% 42%
% Women 36% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 76%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
% In-State 83% 73%
% Out-of-State 17% 26%

Campus

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre JMU
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

  • James Madison University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (22,224 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. JMU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 79.9% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.2% higher at JMU than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($24,744.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than JMU ($16,728 vs. $18,274)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at James Madison University are 7.8% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($12,040 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than James Madison University (94% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 5.1% larger than aid received James Madison University ($10,598 vs. $10,081)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 152 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming JMU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than JMU (78.3%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (81% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $55,300)
  • James Madison University students graduate with a $5,919 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($20,899 vs. $26,818)
  • JMU graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($216 vs. $277)
  • More JMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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