Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. URI

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
Location Lehman, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 353 17,351
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $33,512
Room & Board $13,448 $14,900
Avg Net Price $16,275 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $8,945 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 98%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 640 25,391
Admitted 605 19,568
Acceptance Rate 94.5% 77.1%
Enrolled % 14.9% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.58
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/31
SAT Range 1060/1305 1030/1270
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, 2026

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
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 (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
% Men 0% 6%
% Women 1% 10%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 71%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
% In-State 83% 39%
% Out-of-State 17% 60%

Campus

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre URI
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

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 353 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. URI Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Rhode Island is 2.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($14,116.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.7% higher at URI than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($33,512.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than URI ($16,275 vs. $20,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 10.8% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($13,448 vs. $14,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Penn State Wilkes Barre (98% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Rhode Island students is 43.1% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($12,803 vs. $8,945)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 95 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming URI 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 URI (77.1%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at URI is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $900 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $3,380 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($23,438 vs. $26,818)
  • URI graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former URI students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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