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 368 5,207
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #478
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 $39,134
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $39,134
Room & Board $12,984 $15,850
Avg Net Price $16,728 $27,918
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $29,441
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wilkes
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 4,798
Admitted 622 4,517
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 94.1%
Enrolled % 20.4% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.56
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/26
SAT Range 1070/1260 1060/1260
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 64% 31%
% Women 36% 69%
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% 24%

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 (5,207 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Wilkes Cost Comparison

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

  • Wilkes University is 183.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($39,134.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 69.5% higher at Wilkes than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($39,134.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Wilkes ($16,728 vs. $27,918)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 22.1% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($12,984 vs. $15,850)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Penn State Wilkes Barre (97% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 177.8% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($29,441 vs. $10,598)

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 (95.3%) than Wilkes (94.1%)

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/