Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Swarthmore

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
Location Lehman, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 368 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $58,928
Room & Board $12,984 $18,026
Avg Net Price $16,728 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 63%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 14,707
Admitted 622 1,019
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 20.4% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 32/35
SAT Range 1070/1260 1440/1560
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 4, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 47% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $201

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
% Men 64% 49%
% Women 36% 51%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 88% 42%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Swarthmore
% In-State 83% 10%
% Out-of-State 17% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

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

  • Swarthmore College is 326.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 155.3% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($58,928.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Swarthmore ($16,728 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 38.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,984 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Swarthmore College (94% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 350.1% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($47,703 vs. $10,598)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 449 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (95% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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