Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Wilkes

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Location Lehman, PA Wilkes-Barre, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 353 5,198
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #416
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wilkes.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $40,308
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $40,308
Room & Board $13,448 $16,006
Avg Net Price $16,275 $28,508
Avg Grant Aid $8,945 $28,507
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 100%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 640 6,414
Admitted 605 5,866
Acceptance Rate 94.5% 91.5%
Enrolled % 14.9% 8.7%
Avg High School GPA - 3.56
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/29
SAT Range 1060/1305 1023/1270
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

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Graduation Rate 47% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $268

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
% Men 0% 13%
% Women 1% 49%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 73%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 0% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
% In-State 83% 75%
% Out-of-State 17% 20%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wilkes University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (5,198 students vs. 353 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Wilkes Cost Comparison

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

  • Wilkes University is 191.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($40,308.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.9% higher at Wilkes than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($40,308.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Wilkes ($16,275 vs. $28,508)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 19% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($13,448 vs. $16,006)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Penn State Wilkes Barre (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 218.7% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($28,507 vs. $8,945)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Wilkes Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wilkes University (1053) is 71 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Wilkes (91.5%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Wilkes Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Wilkes is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (58% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Wilkes University earn on average $2,900 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($58,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Wilkes University students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wilkes graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wilkes graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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