Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State

Deciding between Penn State Wilkes Barre and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Penn State Wilkes Barre
Penn State Main Campus

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Dallas, PA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Rural Fringe
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 315
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $14,280
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $24,006
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $15,274
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $16,621
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $9,742
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 89%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 631
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 612
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 97%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 15%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1210
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Difficult
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1090/1330
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 10:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
    • Business (34%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
    • Engineering Technology (19%)
    • English and Literature (12%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 47%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $55,300
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 69%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $26,818
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $277
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 66%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 34%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Very Low
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 88%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 3%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 5%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 85%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 13%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Penn State Wilkes Barre in Dallas, PA with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 315 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is located in Dallas, PA (Rural Fringe setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Penn State Wilkes Barre 10:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Penn State ($16,621 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 5.2% lower than at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($14,474 vs. $15,274).
  • Penn State Main Campus is 44.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Wilkes-Barre (about $6,364 more per year; $20,644.00 vs. $14,280.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 74.1% higher at Penn State than at Penn State Wilkes Barre (about $17,784 more per year; $41,790.00 vs. $24,006.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than at Penn State Main Campus (89% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 16.4% larger than aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students ($11,336 vs. $9,742).

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 120 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (1210).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Penn State Wilkes Barre 1090/1330; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsPenn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Penn State Wilkes-Barre - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 15% at Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre's (47%).
  • Graduates of Penn State Wilkes Barre and Penn State have equivalent median earnings about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $55,300), per the federal College Scorecard cohort (typically among students working and not enrolled).
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates have the same median loan debt ($26,818 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($277 vs. $277).
  • Federal student loan repayment rates three years after graduation are the same for Penn State Main Campus and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates (69% vs. 69%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.